Hamartia
by theblackbirdsong
Summary: The Titans meet a new villain who seems to have a taste for a certain member. Raven must find a way to protect her teammates from not only the new enemy but also from herself. Can an offer from an old enemy help her protect her friends? New Summary! Rated T for suggestive themes, violence, and some language. First Fanfic! I fully accept criticism and compliments! RobxRae
1. Chapter 1

Let's just start off with…

I DO NOT own the Teen Titans

Thanks for reading this far and clicking on this story even if it was an accident

A_ hamartia _is a fatal flaw which I thought suited Raven quite nicely

RobxRae

Alright. Here it goes.

Chapter 1.

Raven felt the rain begin to drop on her wavy, violet locks as soon as she heard the thunder rip open the sky. As the rain started to cover the city's various shops and buildings, she pulled up her hood and hid her amethyst eyes from those who wandered the streets. Not that there were many people out this late at night, but she wanted to appear unapproachable to any who looked her way. Normally, someone might question why a beautiful young girl would dare to walk the city's most dangerous streets, but she was no ordinary girl and the places she visited in her mind were far darker than anything she would encounter on the streets. She needed peace and quiet which was exactly why she left Titan's Tower.

Beast Boy and Cyborg were being way more obnoxious than usual with their video games. The memory of them yelling, the deafening volume of the TV, and the non-stop clicking, threatened to bring back Raven's headache. Starfire kept on flying around her like a bug talking about her home planet like they haven't heard about it a thousand times before and Raven was so tempted to smack her down like one. Even Robin, her closest friend, was driving her insane with the obsessive clicking of his keyboard keys researching criminal profiles. She needed to leave before she showed her friends exactly how much demon blood ran through her veins. She stood up and left the newly dubbed, "Loudest, Most Annoying Friends Ever" and retreated to her room to throw on a pair of charcoal leggings, black combat boots, and a black hoodie. She walked back to the living room to grab her communicator where the others were continuing their noise fest. She sighed. They wouldn't notice her being gone. After all, it was typical of her to disappear for hours into the solitude of her own room. Just as she headed towards the door…

"Where are you going?"

_Dammit_, she thought. She should've expected Robin to be the one to catch her. She looked back at her leader whose face was a mixture of curiosity and concern. He always seemed concerned about her. Which was probably good since she never had much concern for herself.

"Out," she answered in her infamous monotone as the black magic consumed her and formed into the shape of the bird that was her name. As she soared off, she faintly felt a hand grab her sleeve before pulling away.

She felt bad for leaving Robin like that but she desperately needed to meditate. The rain however, proved to be a challenge. As it fell from the sky faster, she began to feel more panicked. She felt all of her emotions trying to break free through every pore in her body. If anybody was watching her, they wouldn't be able to tell that she was an emotional time bomb. She walked the same pace and kept her head low. She was good at hiding her struggle with her inner demons. Literally.

She finally found an alley way that wasn't littered with trash and the homeless and sat up against the wall. _Cool it Raven_, she thought, _just relax. Control your emotions. Don't let them control you. Azarath Metrion Zinthos… _She repeated her mantra and started to gain back her control. A small smile appeared on her lips as she proved once again that she was the one controlling her, not her father. She was just about to open her eyes when a hand violently jerked her arm upwards.


	2. Chapter 2

I Do Not own the Teen Titans

Thanks for reading !

Raven didn't have time to react as the owner of the hand pressed his body up against her's. "What's a pretty girl like you doing out here all alone?" the stranger breathed in her face. He reeked of liquor and made Raven nauseous. She wasn't about to let this perverted man get the best of her emotions.

"I highly suggest you let go of me," she said calmly. But he only laughed and trailed his hand from her shoulder, to her arm, and finally down to her waist where he pulled her closer. "Come on baby. I bet I could show you a good time," he breathed into her ear as he moved the waistband of her leggings slightly down. She scowled as her eyes glowed white and the trashcan behind the man became engulfed in dark energy and flew towards the back of the man's head. The man staggered and Raven seized her opportunity to get out of his grasp. She turned to leave when a hand grabbed her ankle.

"Not so fast bitch. I'm not finished with you." She felt herself being dragged under his body and struggled breathing because of his weight. She stopped wiggling so much when she realized the man had an unnecessarily large blade to her throat. She heard her communicator go off and tried to use her powers to open it so her friends would know she needed them. Then she felt a hit to her face that smacked her head into the wet concrete. She felt her head lift up and then banged against the ground once more. She felt warm liquid pooling underneath her skull. Her arms were pinned roughly above her head She looked up to only see black splotches clouding her vision and felt pain crash into her face and head. She turned her head only to see her communicator smashed into the ground. She felt herself losing grip of consciousness and hope. Suddenly, she felt her pure demon anger rush out of her in dark energy which threw the stranger backwards and into the wall of the alley, but not before her now victim shoved the knife in her side. She didn't have to see a mirror to know that she now had four red, glowing eyes. Her black powers held the man against the brick wall and formed into a hand around his neck. He stared in fear at the girl before him. Predator turned prey. Raven heard her demonic voice laugh at the stranger and say, "What's the matter? I thought we were gonna have a good time?" She tightened her grip on the stranger's neck when a too familiar voice came behind her that caused her to drop the man.

"Hello Raven," said the smooth male voice.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own the Teen Titans

I had to let Raven kick some ass in that last chapter. She just doesn't seem like the type to give up and get taken advantage of.

Thanks again for reading!

"Slade," she answered coolly. She watched the stranger run away from the alley to seek refuge into the dark wet streets. She was exhausted and felt as if her emotions and anger were a tornado that ripped through her body and left destruction but also silence-peace. That was when the pain in her head and face returned and the gash in her side begin to throb with more blood. The loss of blood and the dizziness caused her to double over and use the alley wall as support. She felt warm water dribble on her neck. She reached her hand to the back of her head, brought it back, and saw it was covered in blood.

"And here I thought you were the calm, cool, and collected one," he said mockingly. She looked up at him and the dark splotches appeared and there seemed to be two blurry Slades instead of one. Despite her wanting to appear strong and ruthless to the Titan's worst enemy, she groaned and grabbed her head. His voice came again, "Raven you passed my first test." "Shut up," she managed to say between gritted teeth. He chuckled, "Poor Raven. All you want is some control. I could give that to you. All you have to do is pass my other tests and I'll give you an offer you can't refuse."The empath felt a light wave of disbelief coming from Slade as he saw the red staining her hand she gripped at her side. "Oh little birdy you better get some help before your friends only one bird left on their team." She felt herself become nauseous from the pain, the tremendous blood loss, and the fact that Slade had more in store for her. She felt her eyes become red once more. "Go to hell," she spat at him. He only laughed again. Before she stumbled out of the alley to go back to the tower, she heard him say, "By the way Raven, has anyone ever told you that you have your father's eyes?"


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own the Teen Titans (can someone please tell me if I have to keep putting this on every chapter?)

Sorry that the last chapter was short. I felt like it should end there

Thanks again for reading!

She stumbled into the kitchen as soon as she reached Titan's Tower and used the counter as support. As an empath, she felt her Robin get up from the couch. She also felt his anger, confusion, worry, and exhaustion. But mostly his anger. It made her head throb even more.

"Where the hell have you been? Do you realize how worried I was? I called you on your communicator 6 times Raven! You couldn't stop being selfish for once and…"

He stopped as soon as she dropped to the floor that was already pooling with blood. "Robin?" she managed to choke out. He ran over to her and grabbed her shoulders and gently shook her. "Raven? Rae? What's wrong?" His voice shook with worry. He pulled her hood back and felt sick and angry at what he saw. Her eye was black and blue along with half the left side of her face. Her lip was split open and blood ran from it freely. He saw blood on the back of her collar and put his hand at the back of her head and saw a gash the size of his two fingers. He lifted off her hooded sweatshirt, revealing her sports bra and large bruises in the shape of hands. But what really distressed him was the knife wound pumping blood out of her side. He quickly used his gloved hand to apply pressure to the gash that threatened his closest friend's life. Her wrists were encircled with bruises also. He looked at the waistband of her pants and saw that they were ripped downwards, like someone was trying to rip them off…

Robin felt sick again and pulled Raven's upper body into his lap. She opened her eyes and saw the Boy Wonder stare down at her with worry and fear. "I'm so sorry. I tried…my emotions…I couldn't…he got away Robin…it's my fault…I was weak," she trailed off. Robin stroked her hair out of her face, grabbed a rag and held it to her gaping head wound. "No Raven it's not your fault. Don't say that. You're fine. I'm here." "Robin I can take it from here. I can…" she started to sit up but gasped in pain. Her effort only caused more blood loss.

"Raven I know you're strong but please let us help you. Let me help you," he said as he grabbed another rag because the other was soaked through with blood. She didn't answer because right then she was slipping out of consciousness. "No no you gotta stay with me Rae," he said as he lightly patted her cheek. "CYBORG! STARFIRE! BEAST BOY! I NEED YOU NOW!"

The three titans appeared in the kitchen ready for battle with determined looks on their faces. When they saw their friend, their strong exteriors crumbled.

Starfire gasped at the sight of blood on the floor pouring from the head and side of the girl in their leader's arms. "Robin! What has happened to friend Raven?" Robin just looked up at her with helpless eyes. "I…I don't know…"

For once Beast Boy was speechless but then finally said, "Dudes, we need to get her to the infirmary. That's a lot of blood and she looks so pale…" Beast Boys suggestion woke Robin from his helplessness so he picked Raven up of the floor and more blood dripped from her scalp as more blood slipped through his hand covering her side and onto the floor. Starfire looked like she was going to be sick and started crying silently.

Once they got her to the infirmary, they all stood silently watching their friend. Finally Cyborg spoke up. "Guys she'll be fine. It's Raven. If she knew we were all worried about her she'd be embarrassed. She can heal herself and…" Before he could finish his sentence, Robin pointed at Raven's ripped waist band and Cyborg's eyes widened in understanding and he turned and punched the wall. "WHO THE HELL DID THIS TO HER?" he yelled. Starfire was still crying in the corner and looked confused as to why the boy Titans were so angry. She had never seen Robin more angry and scared in all her time knowing him.

Beast Boy sat in a chair by Raven's bed and glanced one more time at her face before putting his head in his hands and asking, "More importantly, what the hell happened?" The remaining four of the team fell silent until the only noise was Raven's heart monitor steadily beeping.


	5. Chapter 5

Don't own the Teen Titans

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoy!

Raven woke and saw too- green alien eyes inches away from her own face. The happy squeal that came from the owner of the eyes caused her to cringe. Ignoring Starfire's fluttering around the room; she looked around and noticed that she was in the Titan's infirmary. Raven sat up expecting nauseating pain, but was relieved to find barely a dull ache in her head and a small annoyance in her side. It seemed her body did wonders last night healing itself. _Ah the perks of being half- demon_, she thought sarcastically. The happy makes-a-person-want-to-rip-out-their-own-ear-drums squeal came again and this time was mixed with actual words. "Oh Friend Raven! We were so worried! I have to tell the others you're awake! I have to…" A wave of panic rushed over Raven threatening to drown her in her own uncontrollable emotions when her words broke the surface. "No Starfire. Don't."

The previously elevated alien lowered to the ground along with her spirits. "But friend, we were scared. We thought you were going to…" The once happy girl choked on her own sob and her voice came out shaky when she started again. "Why don't you want our friends to know you're okay? I believe that is what people of Earth call selfish." Raven felt her stomach tighten with guilt and barely said with a straight voice, "Please Star. Tell them I'm okay. No tell them that I'm perfectly fine. But it is very important that I meditate and that no one interrupts me. I'll come get you guys when I'm ready." A small smile lingered on her lips as she finished her sentence. Starfire stared at her for a second before grabbing her into a lung-crushing hug. As Raven struggled for air, Starfire said, "I'm so happy you're okay. I don't know what I'd do without you my friend." With that, she left go and walked towards the door. "Don't worry. I'll tell them you need your time," the alien said with a smile and walked out the door closing it behind her.

Raven exhaled hoping it would cool down her emotions like blowing on a spoon full of hot soup would cool it down._ You're fine now _she told herself, _you're safe. Just meditate and then you can allow yourself to see your friends_. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes to the overly white, overly bright lay-out of the infirmary. She'd never admit it, but she half-feared a hand would grab her and violently pull her back up.

A few hours passed and the four remaining Titans sat around the T.V. not giving it much attention. They waited for their friend who would make their group feel complete again. Beast Boy looked into the fridge for the millionth time hoping that food appeared in it since the last time he checked it and sighed before saying, "Dudes we've been waiting three hours. I say we go in there and say, 'Hey why'd you leave such a mess in the kitchen?'" Cyborg was shining his robotic arm and didn't look up when he replied, "And would you like to be the one to lead us on that quest?" The little green shape-shifter turned pale and changed into a cat before running behind the couch. "Yeah that's what I thought pussy," Cyborg snorted. Robin stared at the clock intensely, tapping his foot in-sync with the clicking of the second hand and stood up suddenly. "No let's just go see her. I need to know…"he started towards the door but Starfire stopped him. "No Robin. I am sorry but our friend said it was very important that…"

Just then Raven walked through the door with her hood pulled up and walked into the kitchen, got a bowl, poured some cereal and milk, sat down, and began eating. The 4 sets of eyes burned into the back of her hood and so she turned around and said quietly, "Hey guys." She felt a certain green puppy leap into her lap and jump up to lick her face and in turn, knock off her hood. She self-consciously pulled her hood back up to block the black and blue disaster that was the left side of her face. Her body sure could heal a fatal stab wound but she supposed that it used all of its energy on that and left her human self to heal the ugly bruise. She hid it from her friends to keep them from worrying and staring. Cyborg lifted her up and planted a big friendly kiss on her cheek before putting her down and saying, "I'm so happy you're back Rae." She smiled back at him and wiped the kiss off her cheek in pretend disgust. Starfire got another hug in full of squealing and rib-breaking. The masked boy in back stared at Raven before he stepped forward and hugged her tight before whispering, "You don't have to hide from us."He pulled down her hood gently and she immediately felt the stares and horror of her friends. She put it back on again and said, "Let's just wait until it gets a little better."

The others went back to their typical tasks of video games and making pudding. Robin looked concerned again and said quietly, "You have to tell me what happened sometime you know." "What's there to know?" she replied too quickly, "I went out and got a little banged up, and now I'm okay. Stop worrying." The fact that she was being nonchalant about the situation just worried him even more. "No Raven. I'm not going to stop worrying because when my best friend comes home bleeding to death and practically dying in my arms, it's gonna concern me." Raven didn't reply and stared intently at her cereal and stirred the milk with her spoon. Robin became annoyed and grabbed the spoon from her hand and threw it across the kitchen.

The other Titans turned around at the commotion between their two usually calm teammates. Raven stood up in her chair and began to feel the throb in the back of her head which caused her to slightly stumble. "Robin. I am not a child. I can handle my own situations." The anger inside her banged on the walls of her mind to be let out but her meditation in the infirmary kept it caged. Robin was standing too now and his anger was not caged. "Dammit Raven! You can't even stand! You're still hurt and all I want to know is what happened so I can help you!" His voice lowered and sounded sad, "I saw the waistband of your leggings and it looked like… Did someone hurt you in a different way Raven? Like besides your head and side?"

The whole room was quiet and Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg stared at the ground waiting for Raven's answer. She was embarrassed and angry and hurt and all the emotions banged on their cages and howled to be let out but the violet-haired girl stared back at her leader with a look of defeat. "No. Almost but no. He got away and it's my fault. I was too scared. Too weak." She didn't even want to mention Slade. She turned around to leave and felt a hand grab her's and turned around to see the Boy Wonder. He looked so sad and tired. "Raven…" he started but she just freed her hand and said, "You can't always protect me Robin." With that she phased through the floor and back into her room where she couldn't hurt anyone else.


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own the Teen Titans

Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing!

Don't worry there will be plenty of action soon but the last chapter and this one are necessary for character and situational development.

There is really no rhyme or reason to when I update. It just sort of happens haha

Much love

theblackbirdsong

After she left the Titans standing in the living room, Raven once again found refuge in her bedroom. She stared at pages in a book but didn't necessarily read it; she walked around and stretched out, tidied up her already immaculate room, and attempted a nap. She wanted to kill time until the other Titans went to bed so she could get to the kitchen and make her tea without eyes looking at her and voices asking her questions. Around 1 am when she faintly heard the fourth door close, she washed her bruised face, pulled her hair back, threw on a hoodie and pajama shorts, and walked down the dark halls and into the kitchen.

She clicked on the light that flickered at first and then finally illuminated the kitchen. She went to the pantry and grabbed her tea and decided to just make it in the microwave so a certain bird boy wouldn't wake up and chirp his questions at her. She wasn't even mad at Robin anymore. She knew he loved her, as a friend, and only wanted to help. The boy refused to believe that she was beyond help even when she insisted. She was annoyed with herself for never allowing herself to cry on someone's shoulder or laugh at lame jokes. The thought made her sit down roughly on the couch and spill the scalding tea on her legs. "Shit!" she whispered loudly and set down her mug so she could wipe away the lava-hot liquid. A voice came from her right.

"When are you gonna stop hurting yourself kid?"

Raven turned to her right and saw the Boy Wonder in boxers, a white T-Shirt, and a mask that would look strange on everyone else but just perfect on him. She quickly turned on the TV so the voices could make the room feel like they were less alone. She returned his question with a smirk as he sat down beside her. "I suppose when I'm dead kid." Raven turned back toward the T.V. and sipped from her mug. Robin stared at the girl beside him and watched the unnatural glare of the T. V. dance on her features. He figured she was beautiful. He wanted to pull her close and promise to keep her safe and other promises he knew he couldn't keep, but he knew she'd shove away and retreat back into her room and he didn't want that. Tonight he would just have to settle for her presence which was just enough for him.

Raven felt his eyes on her and knew that if she looked at him, they wouldn't be surrounded by worry lines but that they'd be set in subtle awe. The empath blushed at her realization and broke the boy's trance by saying, "If you take a picture it would last longer or do you just like staring at strange things?" Robin thought for a minute that he would like to have a picture of the girl whose eyes were transfixed on the T. V. staring at something a thousand miles away and whose smile curved on one side of her face as the glare continued to illuminate her face. He found himself wishing that he was on that place a thousand miles away just so she'd look at him. Robin cursed himself for continuing to stare at her after she had caught him but recovered with, "Oh but it'd be a shame to break a perfectly good camera."

Dark energy surrounded the pillow and smacked him upside the head. Raven turned her head and finally looked at him. "Don't be a smartass or next time it'll be the whole damn couch." Robin laughed and said, "I'm sorry Rae. I'm sorry but you set yourself up for that one." "I am always putting myself in the most challenging situations," she replied. But as soon as she finished her sentence she found herself wrapped in Robin's arms for the second time in two days. She felt herself tense up as the lean, muscular arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. She wasn't nervous about the fact that he was just in his boxers and T-shirt. She had been living with the Titan boys long enough to know that boys like walking around in their underwear and that she'd seen them all naked at least once. Yes, Beast Boy is ALL green. She was nervous because she wasn't sure how her emotions would handle it and that she'd end up hurting her best friend. But she let herself be selfish and sink into his hug and pull him close. The boy whispered into her hair, "I don't know what I'd do without you Rae. You're my best friend and I love you." She replied into his chest, "I love you too Robin." The two birds stayed like that for a while and until they broke away and flew back to their rooms.

2 hours later the Titan's alarm went off.


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own the Teen Titans!

You guys are awesome for reading and reviewing =] please continue

There were two known things the Teen Titans were good at: kicking ass and getting dressed fast. As soon as the alarm went off, the teens appeared ready in their uniforms. Cyborg sat at the giant screen and typed away to find out what type of situation will be handled. "Alright guys, this looks pretty ugly. There is a new villain and he goes by the Predator." Once the image of the villain popped up on screen, Raven gasped and felt the throb in her head return. She recognized that man. She remembered the smell of alcohol on his breath and the way his body crushed her… She jumped when a hand grabbed her arm. "Raven, are you alright?" Robin asked. Raven threw up her hood to hide the look of fear on her face. She expertly settled into her usual monotone, "I'm fine."

Robin stared at the terrified girl for a few seconds before turning back to the screen. He'd never seen her so disturbed and it really worried him. The green boy yawned obnoxiously and spoke up, "Okay so what's this guy's deal? Does he have super powers? Awesome skills? Am I being woken up by some dude who doesn't have anything but a threatening name?" They looked at the screen when Starfire gasped and softly replied, "Friends, look at his teeth…" The alien was right. The man in the picture had all sharp jagged teeth that could easily tear the flesh of the Titans even the robotic one. Before long Cyborg spoke up, "It says right here he is reported to have, you could've guessed, predator instincts and qualities. He's fast and strong. He can see in the dark and hear exceptionally well. And as you can see, he has teeth that can put a shark to shame." _That explains why he almost beat me,_ Raven thought. Starfire finally tore her eyes from the Predator's teeth and asked, "What sort of damage has he done Friend Cyborg?" "It says here he is responsible for the rape of 9 women and murder of 24 people and 4 of them have occurred tonight. He's moving fast." Robin was angry and ready to take action. "Alright team we've done enough standing around. Let's take this Predator down. TITAN'S GO!"

They flew away from the tower and landed next to their favorite pizza place which was closed and now covered in shawdows. The masked boy quickly scanned the area and said, "We're gonna need to split up. Starfire, you take the main streets. Beast Boy, you take the park. Cyborg, check out the factories. I'll get the harbor and Raven," he stared at her and wished he didn't have to make her go alone but knew she'd fight him if he suggested otherwise, "you scan the alleys." Raven stomach knotted anxiously as her mind flashed back to her own alley way encounter, but she forced herself to push it out of her mind and lock it away. _You'll be fine_, she repeated to herself. Robin hated splitting up the team. Not knowing if they were going to come back or not always haunted the back of his mind.

Raven scanned the dark alley ways thoroughly. Her own emotions were beginning to stir as her heart pounded against her rib cage. Her fear whispered, _Anything could be hiding behind those dumpsters. Those shadows are moving, crawling closer to pull you in and feed off your screams…_ Intelligence answered back, _No. You know those are just alley cats and dogs. The shadows you see are the wind blowing the trees._ But the girl clung to her raw fear. The human part of her grasped for it like it was life itself. It tightened inside her, wrapping around all her muscles and nerves. The only thing that didn't seem to be held down was her heart which continued to pound blood through her body only feeding the fear. Raven found herself standing still outside of an alley she hadn't checked yet. She jumped when she heard her communicator go off and fumbled it out of her cloak.

"Hey Rae, have you… Are you alright?" Once again her leader had caught her flushed with fear. "Yeah I'm fine an alley cat just jumped out and startled me." The lines in the boy's face relaxed and he settled into a grin, "Aw did the kitty scare you? Do you need me to come hold your hand?"_ Yes. _"No," she answered, "there's a difference between startled and sca…" Just then, a large force crashed into her and knocked her into the shadows and onto the ground. Her communicator was left on the sidewalk where she could faintly hear Robin yelling. She started to get up but the thing that had attacked crawled on top of her. She went to use her powers but the thing only crushed her more, knocking the air out of her.

There was just enough light in the alley for her to see the thing's sharp teeth grinning down at her. A hand reached out and stroked the bruised side of her face. It laughed when she flinched away.

"Hey baby, miss me?"


	8. Chapter 8

I had a bad day at work today so I hope it doesn't reflect in this chapter =/

I do not own the Teen Titans because if I did Robin and Raven would be together

Always a special thanks to those out there who are reading and reviewing my story. You guys make work suck less.

Raven's fear quickly melted into determination. What she was afraid of happening happened and now all there was left to do was fight. "Not really," she grunted as she telepathically flung an abandoned cinderblock at the attacker's head. He stumbled off of her clutching his head. The girl's hands were surrounded in dark energy readying for his next attack. "I like a little fire in them," the Predator growled flashing his deadly teeth. The man's fingers stretched into claws and launched at the girl. Raven used her power to rip a water pipe off the wall of the alley and smacked him in the side knocking him over, but not before his claws ripped into her leotard and flesh. "God dammit these things aren't cheap," she said as she hurled a trashcan at the man. He quickly dodged it and licked Raven's blood off his claws, "You taste good," he growled with pleasure. Raven's skin crawled at the man's comment, _God how creepy can you get?_ "Sorry but I'm not one for flattery," she replied as she searched the alley for something else to throw at him. She began to fly up when a claw sank into her calf and yanked her back down. She yelled in pain as the claw sunk into skin and into her muscle. She found herself backed up against the wall in the Predator's arms once more. Her anger and fear fought against each other, both trying to escape.

Again the sickly smell was breathed into Raven's face, a mixture of alcohol and blood. "Unfortunately for you, baby, I like to play with my food." An explosion came from up above causing the man to loosen his grip. Raven slipped away, eyes glowing and pulled bricks out of the walls of surrounding buildings and sent them hurtling at the monster in front of her. A blue sonic blast flew past her and into the chest of the now staggering man, but he just climbed out of the rubble and onto the walls of the alley. Green starbolts shot towards him, but he dodged them as he crawled across the wall and towards Raven.

Suddenly, a figure swung across the building and kicked the man in the jaw. The masked boy let go of the rope, swiftly pulled out three explosive discs, and hurled them at the man he knocked down. The Predator rolled over and launched at Robin who didn't have time to pull out another weapon, when a black force field appeared in between the monster and the boy. The monster bounced off the wall of dark energy and fell roughly on his side. Robin looked up at his best friend who just saved his life and smiled. The empath felt his gratitude wash over and responded with a smirk, "Anytime." A green wolf ran full speed at the man and knocked him back to the ground. It was a fight of teeth and claws. There was growling coming from both animals when the worst happened. The Predator sunk his teeth in Beast Boy's neck and ripped away. The world seemed to silence as Raven saw her green friend crumple to the ground. She felt his fear and pain like it was her own. It wasn't until she heard the anguished cry of Cyborg that the world regained sound. "BEAST BOY!" The monster crawled into the shadows, up the wall and disappeared into the night.

The Titan's crawled around their friend as Robin ripped off his cape and held it to his friend's gaping neck wound. Cyborg was sobbing in between the words, "please, please, please." Starfire was screaming in between each cry. Raven ran over and placed her hand on Beast Boy's chest and put all her energy into healing him. "Please friend Raven, it is not working!" The alien was right, Beast Boy's neck wound still bled freely. Raven stared at her dying friend with wide eyes. "DO SOMETHING!" Cyborg sobbed. Raven could only think of one thing and it would require a lot of concentration and energy. Robin asked quietly, "Raven…" "Get back ," she ordered. The three others did as they were told. Raven went inside her mind and felt all of her emotions quiet in their cages. Cyborg's sobbing and Starfire's screaming and crying became distant. Her soul self was prepared to leave her body. _Azarath Metrion Zinthos_. She felt her soul shoot out her and into her dying friend. Arriving in his body was like being in the same house as somebody but in different rooms. She needed to find the same room and when she did, his eyes were her eyes, his ears were her ears, his faint heartbeat was her faint heartbeat, and his pain was her pain. It was a blinding pain. It was so intense; it was like they were pain itself. Raven felt his, their, blood rushing out and found Beast Boy wishing it would just all be over._ No_ she told him _you are staying here_. She felt her settle in and again told her emotions to silence. She focused on telepathically repairing each damaged tissue in his neck. She could picture them all connecting, she felt them all connecting. The blood no longer poured out in the open, but continued along its tunnels. Their faint heartbeat started to settle into a healthier rhythm. _Thanks Raven, _she heard. _No problem BB_, she responded. She left his body and shot back into her own. It always felt like a home after coming back from vacation whenever she returned to her body. She appreciated every room and everything just felt right.

She then felt immensely weak and she knew the loss of blood from her leg didn't help either. Her friends turned into a smear of colors and started to fade black when two familiar arms grabbed her. "You did great Rae. I'm so proud of you," the masked boy whispered, "We still need to get him home though. Are you good to fly?" The colors in front of Raven's eyes began to solidify and her murky brain registered his question. "Yeah I'll be good. Go get him home." Raven wrapped her cloak around her leg so Robin wouldn't see it. Beast Boy needed his attention tonight, not her. Robin stared at her for a second, took a giant step forward, and kissed her on the cheek. Any pain, dizziness, or fatigue Raven was feeling was swept away and forgotten. The boy smiled and said, "You're amazing," before turning around and jogging towards the T-car. Happiness asked to be let out of her cage and for once Raven let her roam free. A genuine smile broke across her face; until a voice came that caused happiness to crawl back into her sanctuary.

"Well wasn't that sweet. An interesting round two Raven."


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own the Teen Titans

Thanks for reading! Keep reviewing please! I need motivation haha

Raven turned around as the T-car drove out of sight. Slade was standing under a flickering street lamp and began to walk towards the girl. "You'd leave me alone if you know what's good for you," she said as she pulled up her hood and hid her face from the masked man. "Oh but Raven, don't you want to know what I meant? Don't the idea of my tests haunt you?" She had thought about what he meant, but was careful with Slade's psychological games. "No I don't care," she said with no emotion. "Oh but you should care," he came closer and lowered his voice almost to a whisper, "after all, one of your friends almost died because of it." Something snapped inside Raven and she let Anger out of its cage to feed. A claw of dark energy shot out of her and grabbed the man around the chest and pinned him to the alley wall. Slade just laughed, "You are just proving my point even further Raven. I am not afraid of you so let me down and let's talk." She regained control but her voice seethed with hatred, "You leave them out of this. This is between you and me. Whatever "this" is." The dark claw clung tighter to its victim. "Well since you've asked so nicely, I will tell you about my tests although I hate ruining surprises," he said calmly.

"First off, although this Predator was a tool in my tests, he was not one knowingly. He's not an apprentice or even a friend, just something I could use without getting my hands dirty. Once I heard about him, I knew you Titans and all your good intentions would go after him especially if it became personal. So yes Raven I did lead him to you when I saw you walking alone the other night and knew it was the perfect opportunity to test my theory. I've been studying you and I know how hard it is for you to hide how you are such a daddy's girl. I guessed, correctly, that you left the tower because you were losing control of your emotions and that just the slight disruption would send you overboard. So I watched you fight this Predator and was disappointed that you almost lost. That is, until you lost control and almost ripped the man in half. And tonight, you let your fear get in the way to where your friends had to save you and one almost died."

Raven was grateful for the shadow of her hood that covered the tears that escaped her eyes. It was her fault that Beast Boy almost died and she almost wasn't able to save him because her fear paralyzed her. Despite the tears, the girl kept her voice steady and slipped into sarcasm, "Wow did you figure that out all by yourself? I gotta tell you Slade this is such a genius test. You figured out that I get angry and scared! I hope this information doesn't get out to other villains." Again Slade laughed, "You and me both know it gave away more than that Raven. I know your weakness. It's your desperate need for self-control. Unlike humans who lose their control to drugs and alcohol, you lose yours to a darker part of yourself, a demon you cannot exorcise, a part you desperately try to bottle up. But do you know what happens when there in contents under pressure right? They eventually self-destruct. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you meditate, you know it'll never be enough. You'll eventually destroy yourself Raven and those you love around you. Tell me, how does it feel to know that you'll be the one to kill your friends and not I?"

Slade's words dug under Raven's skin and settled deep into her bones where she knew they'd be forever. True words do that to a person. Sadness broke its cage and howled in anguish. The hooded girl screamed as tears poured down her face and slammed the man into the wall once again. "What's stopping me from killing you right now? Why are you so confident?" she demanded.

"Because Raven, if you kill me, you will have no one else to hate but yourself."


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own the Teen Titans

Thank you for reading! Review please!

This is for the RobxRae fans =]

Raven laid on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Her wavy, violet locks fanned out on her light blue, satin pillow. Her long, slender legs were tangled in her sheets while her hands laced together on her chest. Her room was set at a cool temperature and the moonlight leaked through the window and onto the foot of her bed. It was the picture of serenity, the exact opposite of her thoughts.

As soon as she got home, she went to see Beast Boy who was already well enough to brag about the fight. When Robin saw her leg when she got home and made a big deal about bandaging it, so she sat down and haphazardly wrapped her leg in gauze. It would be healed by morning anyways. The boy also noticed her tear-stained cheeks but she blamed it on the pain. He knew she was lying because she never cried over pain, but didn't have time to ask because she went to her room for the rest of the day and into the night.

"_Tell me, how does it feel to know that you'll be the one to kill your friends…"_ Raven shifted under her sheets and onto her stomach. She pulled her pillow over the back of her head and mumbled, "Shut up. Shut up. Shut up," into her mattress. _I would never do that_, she thought, _he doesn't know anything about my self-control. A couple slip ups don't mean I'm a threat to my friends_. She thought of her friends and then of a certain masked boy whose lips grazed across her cheek just a few hours before… A cruel voice in her head interrupted,_ your slip-up almost killed your friend. You're not controlling your dark side, it is controlling you._ Raven sat up and threw her pillow across the room with a yell. Her pillow knocked a vase off of her shelf and caused it to shatter across the floor. _Decorative vases are stupid anyway,_ she thought as she plopped backwards on her bed and continued her ceiling staring. She groaned in realization that a certain bird would've heard her yell and glass shattering. _3…2…1…_

Three quick knocks came at her door followed by a worried voice, "Raven? Are you okay in there?" The girl padded across the floor and opened her door. "Hey Robin." _Soft lips touching her cheek… _"I heard a yell and glass shattering. Is everything okay in there?" he asked as he peeked over her shoulder and into her room. She stepped aside and let him enter. The boy scanned the room and asked, "What happened?" Raven lied, "Yeah I was sleeping and my vase fell of its shelf and I yelled because it was such a tragedy that now I have nothing to decorate my room with." Robin rolled his eyes and shrugged off the lie. "Yeah whatever Rae," he said as he yawned and plopped down on her bed. Raven blushed at the fact that Robin was in her bed, but recovered and said, "Boy Wonder, get out of my bed." He crossed his arms behind his head and grinned, "Why? Do you have secrets hidden in this bed?" _Yes._ She rolled her eyes and replied, "Yes, I have many suitors who come into my room at night begging for my love." The boy still stared at her with that smile, "I bet they do." Again Robin caught himself staring at her. She stood with her arms crossed with one hip out. She had one eyebrow raised and a smile tugging at the right side of her mouth. Her hair hung just past her shoulders in an, what he thought, adorable mess. She wore a giant black shirt he was sure she stole from Cyborg and shorts. Her gray skin seemed to glow silver in the moonlight and the affect made her look ethereal.

"What?" she asked. She felt the same subtle awe coming from him as she did the night before and she wasn't sure what to make of it. Robin just laid his head back on Raven's pillow and closed his eyes before saying, "You're something else." Raven walked over to the bed and laid down on her back next to him. She also closed her eyes and said, "You have a way with words." The girl could hear the smile in his voice when he answered a simple, "I know." The only sound in the room was their breathing. There was a comfort in the lack of conversation that Raven could only have with the boy laying beside her. A little timed passed before the boy grabbed her hand a held it to his chest. She could feel his heartbeat against her knuckles and smiled for his very existence. Raven was about to fall asleep when she felt the bed shift and looked up to see Robin sitting with his legs over the side of the bed. Knowing she was awake he whispered, "I'm going to go back to my room Rae. You need your rest and I don't want to take up your space." _No please don't leave_. "Okay," she replied with a yawn and turned on her side to face him. He leaned down and kissed her on the head. "Goodnight Raven." Goodnight Robin." And with that, the Boy Wonder walked out of her room and closed the door.

Raven felt herself swell with disappointment. She found herself wishing he'd stay and keep all her ghosts away. She wanted him go under skin and rip the demons out of her core so she never had to worry about hurting him if her got too close. She felt the memory of his heart beat on her knuckles and brought them up to her lips. She thought of the sound of his smiling while he talked. He was her best friend and she loved him. His presence made her happy and made her feel safe which was rare for her. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep thinking of the Boy Wonder and his heart beat.

"…_how does it feel to know that you'll be the one to kill your friends?"_


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for reading and reviewing! I might update tonight again

You guys are the best

Love, theblackbirdsong

Five quick knocks came at Raven's door that caused her to jump and then fall off the side of her bed in a tangle of sheets. "Friend Raven I have a question of importance to ask you!" Starfire's voice was full of excitement and happiness that caused the fallen girl to growl in response, "This better be important to be waking me up so early." She glanced over at the clock and was shocked to find that it read 9:30am. _Why did I sleep in so late? I'm usually up by 6…oh… _Raven smiled remembering Robin in her bed. His boyish smell lingered on the sheets just as the memory of his kiss lingered on her temple. "Oh please please please please please let me in!" the alien's excited voice changed to childish begging, but Raven found herself opening the door for her friend. Starfire ran in and immediately grabbed Raven's hands. "I would really enjoy the shopping with you today. If you would please go with me, I would be the happiest Tamaranian on the planet!" "You're the only Tamaranian on this planet." Despite Raven's response, Starfire looked at her with big, beautiful alien eyes full of hope. The gray girl smiled inwardly at her friend. She's seen her kick ass in a fight and was the strongest Titan, but the alien girl always returned back to her silly, girlish ways.

Any other day, Raven would've said no, but last night left her in a good mood and thought maybe some air-conditioned, pretzel-smelling air wouldn't be too awful. She stared at Starfire for a second, bracing herself for high-pitched squeals and hugs, before answering monotonously, "Fine." Raven did not prepare herself enough for the alien's reaction. The girl flew around the room squealing and running into things yelling, "Oh thank you thank you thank you! We shall have a glorious day!" The other girl was too busy using her own dark powers to catch falling books the giant bug was knocking over to answer. Finally a vase fell and crashed to the floor. _Great, two decorative vases destroyed in 7 hours, _she thought as she picked up the pieces. The alien girl flew out of the room and yelled, "Oops! Don't worry! We'll buy you a new one today!" Raven sighed and threw the pieces away before getting ready.

She took a shower and put on an indigo, off the shoulder, casual shirt along with a white pair of shorts. Her careful hands braided her violet hair off to the shoulder-exposed side and when she was done she looked at the mirror and cocked her head to the side. Her eyes glanced at the ruby chakra on her forehead and travelled down to her toes. She nodded her head to her reflection for looking presentable and phased through the floor and into the kitchen. Beast Boy was looking through the fridge and smelling plastic containers before putting them back. Cyborg sat on the couch engrossed in a show about cars while Robin was pouring over investigation notes and newspaper clippings. Starfire flew into the room and stood in front of the TV, excited about her announcement. "Friends! Raven and I are partaking in the shopping experience for the day so we will see you all later!" This caused Robin to look up from his notes and smile at the violet-haired girl, "Really now? Raven agreed to that?" The green boy interrupted, "You two have to bring me! I can pick up chicks while you guys shop around!" Raven rolled her eyes and said, "We are not bringing you. The girls just turn you down and it's awkward for them and awkward for you and awkward for everyone." The Boy Wonder laughed before Starfire answered, "No Beast Boy, this is an event for just girls. The last time we let you come with us; one girl hit you for trying to discover the secrets of Victoria with her!" Cyborg busted out laughed while the shape shifter turned red and mumbled, "Whatever."

"Alright well I guess we're leaving now," Raven said as Starfire grabbed her hand and squealed and pulled her out the door. She could hear the faint laughter of Robin on the way out.

The mall was unpleasantly crowded and made Raven feel claustrophobic and annoyed. The alien however, fed off the energy of all the people and excitedly bounced from store to store. A group of young teenaged girls were giggling and taking pictures of themselves doing various faces and hand gestures. The gray girl rolled her eyes at the girls and asked herself why they'd take pictures of such mundane activities like going to the mall. Several kiosk operators asked Raven if she'd "like to try this" or if she could "come here for a second" and right before her annoyance would literally blow the roof off; the alien girl grabbed her hand and pulled her into a store. "Raven I am having so much fun, are you having fun?" she squealed as she searched through racks. Raven didn't so much as look as the clothes, but rather pushed each clothing aside and answered in monotone, "A blast."As Starfire took a rack of clothes to the dressing room, Raven sighed and picked up the clothes that were dropped on the ground and hung them back up. She figured it must suck to have a job where you had to pick up clothes people dropped and didn't pick up because they were too careless. A petite sales girl with short brown hair, was doing the same thing, looked up at her and while smiling, said, "Thank you." Raven smiled back before she heard her named being called from the dressing room and walked over.

"Raven, would you please tell me how this clothing looks? I like it a lot but I want your opinion!" She opened the door and the beautiful alien was wearing a very flattering purple sun dress. It was a deep v-neck and hit right at the girl's mid thighs. She thought that her friend looked beautiful it in. It complemented her red, shiny locks that no one could ever achieve and her green eyes that got her almost everything she wanted. Raven felt the sharp tinge of jealously but quickly shoved it back down in its cage. It was such a useless emotion and she was mad at herself for even allowing it to creep up on her. Raven smirked and said, "It looks great on you Star. You have to buy it." Yet again, Starfire squealed and hugged her and said, "You are such a glorious friend!" Raven smiled again because she made her friend happy with such a simple phrase. The alien's green eyes turned mischievous and a sly smiled appeared on her face when she asked, "So, do you think Robin will like it?"

Raven's heart dropped.


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for everything you wonderful readers and reveiwers

"Wha?" Raven stuttered as a stack of clothes mysteriously flew into the air and scattered on the floor. The petite sales girl sighed and began picking the recently folded clothes back up. Starfire just giggled and lowered her voice to a girlish whisper, "I said, do you think Robin will like it?"

_Of course,_ the other girl thought, _Robin would want her. She is beautiful and kind and cheerful. How could I have been so naïve?_ Raven snapped out of her disappointment and thought rationally, _No it's better this way. Now I don't have to worry about ever hurting him. They will be happy together and that's enough for me. How could I ever expect him to love someone who could destroy him? Now stop looking like a dumbass and answer her question._ "Yeah I think he'd really like you in it." The alien girl squealed again. Raven would need to go home after this; so much unnecessary squealing. "Then I shall buy it!" In her excitement, she shut the door in Raven's face. The girl sighed, walked over to a chair and sat down. She didn't have any bags to carry around since this trip was mainly for her overzealous friend, but her body was tired from what Starfire told her. _It could mean nothing,_ she found herself consoling herself, _and it could just mean that she has a little crush on him. Don't jump to conclusions_. _What about the times he kissed me? _Doubt answered, _those were friendly kisses, and you have a close friendship with him. Raven, you are friend-zoned._ As Starfire walked out of the dressing room humming, a knot sat in Raven's stomach and sadness whimpered in its cage.

She eventually got up and walked to the counter with the alien. She leaned against the register counter and traced circles on it as Starfire placed a pair of jeans, two shirts, and the mood-ruining dress into the petite sales girl's hands. The red-haired extra-terrestrial flashed her winning smile and said, "Shopping at your store was most enjoyable!" Raven grimaced at her friend's people skills, but couldn't say much because her own were almost non-existent. She looked closer and saw that the sales girl's name read "Sara". Raven knew that people found her inconsiderate and strange because she didn't engage in small talk, so she thought maybe learning their names would make up for it. "Thanks for your help Sara."

Suddenly the store filled with screams and the empath felt the terror and the fear of the shoppers. She looked around and then back at Sara only to feel terror, pain, and something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Loss? That's when she noticed the life in the sales girl's eyes fading away and the claws protruding through her abdomen. When they were yanked out, Sara dropped to the floor and laid lifeless in a pool of blood. The owner of the claws brought them up to his lips and licked the blood off and smiled with bloody teeth. "Not as good as you, Raven, but it'll do." He jumped across the counter and towards the two heroines. The mall became chaos as the fear spread like wildfire from the store. Customers screamed and ran from the scene. Raven grabbed a rack with her powers and launched it at murderer, who took the hit but sprung right back up and out of the store. She grabbed her communicator while flying and sent a quick message to Robin, "We need back-up now at the mall." She closed it before he could respond and tackled the Predator to the ground. Starfire helped evacuate patrons while frantically looking for a way to be useful while her friend wrestled on the ground.

Raven struggled with the massive weight she was wrestling with and heavily relied on all of her aggressive emotions to fight. She finally managed to knee him where it hurt for all males, super- human or not. He cussed in pain but was able to hit her in the jaw. He took advantage of her sudden daze to straddle on top of her and held the claws to her delicate neck. "I can't wait to taste you again." He raised his claws and stabbed them into her shoulder where she cried out from the blinding pain. She felt it pierce all the way down to her bone and jerk back up. She felt tears sting her eyes and a sob escape her throat. Again, he licked the blood off his claws and smiled down at her before saying, "Much better, but I think I'd like to hear you scream again." He raised his hand while Raven tried to lift a trashcan, but a green starbolt hit him and knocked him off her chest. He bounced back up and attacked a mall cop, ripping his throat out like he'd done to Beast Boy. She scrabbled to get up, but slipped on her own blood. She looked up to see Starfire shooting starbolts at the man, but narrowly missing. He attacked screaming patrons as he dodged the bolts. Raven used her powers to rip off the metal railing up the upstairs level and speared the jagged edges towards him but also missed. A bird-a-rang flew past her head and snagged the shirt of the monster which caused him to growl and run towards her direction. He tackled her into the mall fountain and held her face in the water. She felt him stab into her back and through the muscle, and towards her organs just like he did to Sara, which caused her to scream and swallow the water filled with dirty wishing pennies. While her physical self thrashed around the water, she telepathically broke off the top of the fountain and smashed it into his head. She was relieved of his weight and gasped for air while coughing up water. She looked down and saw the fountain pink with her blood, but turned to look for her attacker. She found him being bombarded with sonic blasts, exploding discs, and starbolts while a green gorilla threw heavy items in his direction. She went to walk but stumbled in pain and ended up army crawling with one arm over to victims, leaving a trail of blood. She checked their pulses only to find one with a faint flutter of a heart beat. She held her hand to their chest and pushed her healing energy into them, but they were too far gone. She tried again and again in between sobs. She was so desperate to do something right, to save someone. Before long, she was so tired and weak and dizzy, that she had to stop.

She rested her cheek on the mall ground that was covered in the blood from her shoulder and all the blasts and explosions seemed far away. She thought of all the people who walked on that particular floor that she couldn't save. Her hand still rested on the victim's chest and she whimpered, "Sorry." It was not just to the victim, but to everyone she didn't save because she wasn't strong enough. Because she had no control. It was a sorry to her friends because she couldn't protect them. The explosions were getting further away but she tried to get back up to them because that's where her friends were and where she pretended that they needed her like she needed them. But she couldn't get up and figured she would die just like Sara on the dirty mall ground.

_This is much worse than the first time, _she thought. She knew she wasn't going to die then, she felt her life still burning in her. But this was different. Her beacon of light was a faded, flickering thing. _You couldn't save Sara, or people on the ground with you, or yourself. _She tasted the saltiness of her tears as they fell across her lips and she closed her eyes. She heard feet pounding on the ground and then felt two arms pick her up and pull her to a chest. "Raven, Oh God, Raven, please answer me." _Robin._ She felt tourniquets being wrapped around her shoulder and mid section. She felt his hand sweep her matted hair out of her face and he heard him choke on a sob, "You can't die Rae. Please." The girl in his arms murmured, "I'm sorry." "No don't say that, you'll be fine. Please be fine. You have to be fine. I need you," She heard the tears on his voice. She felt the other Titans standing around, in shock that their seemingly immortal friend was actually very mortal. She felt his lips to her forehead, "Stay with us Rae, stay with me. I love you." Happiness lifted up from her deathbed. Raven's faint heartbeat fluttered as she whispered, "I love you too." She thought it was dreadfully unfair to find out that the Boy Wonder loved her just as she was about to die. The stoic, mysterious masked boy cried into her hair and held her close. She didn't want him to cry. The gray girl began to search for her beacon of life. It was still flickering and fading. She willed it to change because she wanted control. Her beacon slowly flickered brighter.


	13. Chapter 13

Please keep reading and reviewing! You guys are my motivation! =]

Raven opened her eyes to the darkness of the infirmary. She heard her heart beep steadily on the monitor and turned her head to see Robin sleeping in a chair. His jet black hair was disheveled and his eyebrows were creased in worry even while he slept. His lips were slightly parted and the girl wanted to reach out and touch them gently. She sat up and gasped in pain from the stab wounds through her midsection. Sweat glazed her forehead as she heard the heart monitor beep faster and in turn, Robin woke with a start. Raven was grasping her stomach and her breathing turned into wheezing, but she tried so hard not to let the boy see her in so much pain. But he knew his friend and rushed to her side to help her lie back down. "Why. Does. It. Hurt. So. Much?" she finally managed to gasp out. "I know. I'm sorry Rae. You put so much energy into staying alive that your body is struggling with its healing process," he said as he wiped the sweat off her brow. Raven looked down at her hand which was now stained with some blood and saw through her white hospital gown that it was stained too. The masked boy moved quickly into action and grabbed gauze, bandages, and scissors. He gently lifted up her top to cover only her chest and exposed the ruined bandages. The blood-stained girl leaned back and closed her eyes trying to push the pain away and steady her heart beat. She felt the boy cut off the bandages tenderly clean the wound. "You must've torn your stitches when you sat up. You'll be fine," he whispered in reassurance. _'…you'll be fine. Please be fine. You have to be fine. I need you.' _

"As long as you're here," she murmured with her eyes closed. She felt has hands pause wrapping the bandages. Instead, he ran his fingertips along her stomach so softly; it sent chills up Raven's spine. He finally spoke still staring at the imaginary lines he was tracing, "Raven, I don't know if you remember, but I said something to you when I thought you were…" Robin inhaled shakily. _He's going to take it back_, she thought. The lines he was tracing on her stomach were apologies for saying something he never could mean. But the boy continued, "Well…"

He was interrupted by the three other Titan's bursting through the door. Raven widened her eyes as she saw the green shape shifter running towards her, preparing for a hug, but she never felt the impact since a giant robotic arm stopped him. "Woah BB, she's not completely healed." Beast Boy's face fell into disappointment. _He can be so annoying sometimes, but he really does love me, _she thought. Raven spoke up, "You can give me a hug Beast Boy, as long as it's…uh…very gentle." She felt his mood perk up and he moved slowly over to her and wrapped her into his skinny arms with great care. She hugged him back and heard him whisper, "Don't scare me like that again." He pulled away and she smiled at him and ruffled his hair. Cyborg walked over and kissed her on top of the head and turned to look at her vitals, "Everything is returning to normal. For a while we didn't think you'd make it," she felt Robin wince. "This kid over here," Cyborg nodded over to the masked boy, "wouldn't leave your side." She blushed and looked down at her hands folded on her lap. She was embarrassed for ever thinking Robin loved her as more than a friend. _And I said it back_, she thought, _and I meant everything by it and he meant nothing. They were just words he hoped would die along with the dying girl._ She heard Starfire crying in the corner, "It's my fault you almost died! I should've never asked you to go to the mall with me! I'm an awful friend!" _No wonder Robin loves her, she's devastatingly beautiful even when she cries_, thought Raven. But she knew her friend didn't deserve to feel guilty so she replied, "No Star. I…I…wanted to go with you. We were having a… good time. It was just a bad coincidence." The alien girl wiped the tears from her big beautiful green eyes and smiled before walking over to her friend and hugging her gently. Raven couldn't help but wonder if she ended up getting the dress. She turned to Cyborg, "Can I go to my room now?" The robotic man checked her vitals one more time before answering hesitantly, "Yes you can considering you are healing perfectly fine…" Robin interjected, "Are you kidding me? She almost died and you are letting her lock herself up in her room alone? What if something goes wrong?" Raven wished he'd stop caring, it only made things worse. Cyborg glanced at her with concern before answering, "We'll leave her with something she can press if she needs help. Robin, she's more than capable of handling herself." Raven loved that about Cyborg. He always knew when she needed her space. She was petting a green cat when she finally looked into Robin's eyes and answered, "Please Robin, I need to be alone. I promise I'll hit the button if I need help, but I need to meditate." The doors on her emotions' cages were coming unlocked. She felt disappointment, sadness, jealousy, exhaustion, and a bit of anger. They were all negative feelings she needed to push down and after today's events, it would take a hell of a lot of mediation.

Finally with some reluctance, Raven was allowed to rest in her room instead of the infirmary. She wasn't used to being in there so often. She insisted that she'd get there on her own and since her powers were still faded from the intense healing session, she had to walk. Starfire and Beast Boy returned to bed while Cyborg and Robin remained walking behind her just in case she needed help. She found herself leaning against the wall several times and grasping her midsection in pain. Her two friends always reached out to help her, but she stubbornly replied, "I'm fine. I can do it." After what seemed like ages, she finally reached her room and then allowed Cyborg and Robin to help her lay down. The masked boy took one last glance at the girl and walked away wishing he could stay with her.

She was exhausted and decided that she would meditate tomorrow when she was hopefully feeling better. She closed her eyes and dozed off thinking of the Boy Wonder's "I love you's" . Later she woke up in the middle of the night and felt a gentle breeze. _Did I have my window open?_ She asked herself sleepily. Before she could answer, a man straddled her on the bed and closed a rough hand over her mouth. A smooth voice whispered,

"Shh. No reason to wake up the other Titan's Raven. We never finished our talk."


	14. Chapter 14

Hello everyone!

I am so sorry I haven't updated in forever but I was out of town for almost two weeks without a computer and then I just had writer's block. As a sign of how sorry I am, I will have another chapter up by tomorrow. I'm a little iffy about this one but hey, I'm getting back into the swing of things. Once again, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Keep it up! love you all

theblackbirdsong

Slade's weight dug into her injured stomach, causing tears to run from her eyes. Her whimper was muffled by his hand and he began to chuckle, "Now Raven, I'm going to take my hand off your mouth, but if you cry out, I will kill whoever comes through that door to save you. And you and I both know who that'll be." Raven squeezed her eyes shut and nodded her head to show that she understood. His other hand had her wrists bound above her and he removed the hand from her mouth and gently caressed her cheek, "Good girl." She tasted bile in her mouth. She hated his touch, his smell, his smooth voice. She especially hated how he had power over her and that he was threatening the people she loved. This was between her and Slade. She could feel his eyes scan her face and body and she wanted to kill him for his thoughts but she laid perfectly still and looked into his eyes with hatred.

"Such a pretty girl. I can understand why Robin wants you," his hand left the side of her face and trailed down to her neck where he applied just enough pressure to make breathing uncomfortable. Raven felt her heart beat faster, becoming desperate. She hated herself for wanting to beg him to stop. She never begged. He leaned closer to her face and whispered, "You look so weak, it almost seems I could break your delicate little neck with no problem. But I'm no fool. You and I both know what you hide deep inside you." His hand trailed away from her neck and down to her chest. Her whole body stiffened as his hand settled on where her heart was. She felt like her heart was trying to shove his hand away from her. He chuckled again, "Nervous are we? Why is that Raven? I thought we knew each other very well by now." His hand slid down, grazing her breast, and went behind her to her lower back. He pulled her closer to him which caused the searing pain to rip through her midsection. She felt her sleep clothes dampen with warm blood and soak to her sheets. A very quiet cry came from her mouth and tears fell from her eyes again. Slade leaned in so close, his lips were touching her ear as he whispered, "You better hope to your god that no one heard you." Fear for her friends' lives hit her harder than the pain did. _Please stay asleep, please stay asleep, please stay asleep. _

"Alright now dear, we can finally talk." Again, his hand explored down and this time to her thigh where he hesitated. Raven moved her leg away, but he grabbed high enough on her thigh to make a knot settle in her stomach. This wasn't the same animalistic way the Predator groped her, Slade was going slow, relishing in the power he had over her. She wanted to rip him apart. _If only I had the energy_, she thought. The sheets soaking in blood reminded her of how tired and weak she felt. His voice came out smooth and calm, "Raven pay attention, I could help you have complete control over your powers and emotions. But you know I'm not one for charity, so you must give me something in return. You may speak now, but quietly." Raven spat out, "Go to hell." Slade chuckled but then jammed his thumb into Raven's stitches. Pain blinded her, she arched her back and bit on her lip to keep herself from screaming. Tears streamed out of her eyes and blurred the masked man. Her sheets became even more soaked, but he ignored it. He sighed and calmly said, "You can't be rude while making a negotiation." "I'm not negotiating with you," she replied through gritted teeth. "You will," he replied back as his hand travelled to the waistband of her pants and slightly tugged on them. Raven squirmed but looked at him in the eye and said, "No." She could feel him smiling through his mask. The knot grew larger in her stomach and all her nerves were screaming to fight. She would not let him have that.

"Don't worry Raven; I won't do anything against your will. I want you to come to me." Raven growled, "I would never." "Oh but listen to my proposition. What if I could guarantee you full control of your powers and emotions?" Raven turned her head away from him and barely whispered, "I'd say you're full of shit." How could he even offer her something like that? He grabbed her chin and jerked her head so she was looking back up at him, "But I'm not. So here it is, I will train you and give you full control over your powers, if, you give me control over you. " Raven stared at him incredulously. _How could he think I'd ever accept that_? She replied, "There's no way." Slade stared down at her and caressed her thigh roughly before answering back, "I had a feeling you'd say that, that's why there's more to it. If you deny my offer, I will send more villains your way; ones that are worse than the Predator and you and I both know how well you Titans handled him. And if you tell any of the Titans about our negotiation, that also terminates the deal." The girl's stomach sank. Worse than the Predator? Two of them almost died fighting him. Her fear rattled its cage. "Just think about it. But I need an answer soon love." He leaned down and kissed her roughly on the lips. Raven wanted to throw up. He got off of her but leaned down inches from her and whispered, "You may scream now."

Slade again jammed his thumb into her stitches and she screamed.


	15. Chapter 15

I know a lot of you expected this to be a rape scene, but personally I don't see Slade as that type of person. I see him more as a psychological villain that craves more power over someone's mind. His advances were only to make Raven feel uncomfortable and powerless because sometimes in order to control their mind, you have to have some control over their body. I just wanted to clear up the fact that I will not be doing a rape scene because I personally, think it's a bit overdone.

He jumped out of her window and disappeared back into the night. She curled up into a ball and tried to hold herself together because the waves of pain were threatening to tear her apart. She wanted it all to be a nightmare. She hated Slade and his mind games. Raven was gasping, shaking, and sweating. She knew she looked pathetic and hated herself for it. _Get it together. You're fine_. She heard someone run down the hallway and burst through her door. The girl knew who it was without looking up. She could feel the shock and horror radiate off of the Boy Wonder. She also knew her bed looked like a murder scene. He ran over to her bed and without thinking, she threw her arms around him. She never wanted anyone to see her like this. She was strong and stoic, but now she was a helpless mess. Items in her room were falling off of shelves while fear and anger broke through their cages.

Robin held her tighter to keep her from shaking, "Raven calm down. You're okay. I got you, I just need you to calm down and tell me what's wrong." The boy's voice masked how scared he was for the girl wrapped in his arms. He felt something warm and wet on his hand that wrapped around her back. Robin looked at his hand and saw it was covered in blood. "Shit." He said as he laid her down on the bed and gently lifted up her shirt to reveal the broken stitches. He brought out gauze pads as if he carried them everywhere and gently applied pressure. The boy knew that tossing and turning during sleep would not cause the stitches to break this badly or for her to bleed that much. He stared up at her. Raven had stopped her shaking and stared silently at the ceiling. All the items on her shelves were on the floor. Her violet hair was sticking to her forehead and her breathing was still too fast. "What happened? And don't say nothing because we both know that's a lie. I want to help you. Please let me help you."

Raven had never heard him beg so she turned her head to look at his face. She wanted to tell him everything so badly. She wanted him to help her fix it and promise everything would be okay. But Raven knew that wouldn't happen. Slade's threat rang through her mind and she knew she couldn't tell him about anything they discussed. He reached out and grabbed her hand, but she flinched when he touched her wrist. He gently turned her hand over and saw bruises circling her wrists. He couldn't keep the anger from his voice, "Who did this to you?" That's when Raven knew Slade wanted Robin to know it was him. He knew that by hurting Raven, he'd hurt Robin. She looked at the masked boy and quietly replied, "Slade." Anger radiated off of Robin like a heat wave but his voice remained eerily calm, "I will kill him." Raven knew it was a promise. "Raven, tell me what happened," his voice was serious but gentle and made her think that he could fix any problem. She began to tell him but skipped around the negotiation.

"He said that there were worse villains out there, worse than the Predator. Robin this is bad. Two of us have almost died fighting him. I don't want to even imagine someone, something that's worse." The boy stared at the girl sitting in front of him. Her long legs were tucked behind her and her hair was matted with pieces clinging to her sweaty face. She stared back with worry in her large violet eyes. Her lip was bleeding and her shirt was soaked with blood and sweat. She was hiding something, he could feel it. Robin was afraid of the answer but he asked any way, "Did he…I mean…he didn't do anything, else did he?" Raven looked down at her hands embarrassed, "Not really." "Not really isn't nothing Raven." She continued to stare at her hands when she answered, "Well he touched me, but not so much in the way you're thinking. Then, he kissed me." _Oh that's just what I wanted_, she thought, _for Slade to be my first kiss. The sick bastard probably knew he was too._

Now Robin was the one staring down at his clenched fists. He felt like it was his fault. He knew Slade did those things to her because of him. He somehow knew it would bother him. The girl felt his guilt and reached out and put her hand on his shoulder, "Hey, you can't blame yourself for any of this." He looked back up into her eyes, "I shouldn't have left your side. I should've been protecting you." This made her smile slightly, "You and me both know I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself." Robin scooted closer to her and reached out and brushed her hair back behind her ear, "But I'd like it if you let me protect you too." Raven felt her breath catch and became suddenly aware of her appearance. She jumped away from Robin's touch, "I…uh should take a shower. I look like a nightmare." She felt a slight wave of disappointment and hurt from the boy but he returned with a sly smile, "Quite the contrary, I think you look beautiful. You always do." Raven rolled her eyes at the boy's comment but smiled as she walked to her bathroom and into the shower.

After 15 minutes of rinsing her body and carefully cleaning her wounds, she returned to her room to find the Boy Wonder still sitting on her bed. "You're still here?" she stuttered out in embarrassment clutching her towel. "Did you want me to leave? Because I can…" "No. Stay." Raven answered without thinking. _Oh my god did I just say that?_ A grin broke across his face, "Okay, okay you don't have to beg." The girl glared at him, "Turn around and close your eyes perv, I'm gonna change." This time Robin was the one to blush, but he did as she said. "Okay you can open your eyes." She changed into a large white T-shirt with short black pants. Her damp hair was braided down her back. She caught Robin staring at her again. "What?" she asked. He hesitantly answered, "I was thinking that since your bed is ruined, we could, I mean only if you're fine with it, sleep in my room."


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks for reading and all the reviews! It makes my day. The positive responses are really encouraging. As most of you know, this is my first fan fic so I'm open for constructive criticism.

Longest chapter yet! Hope you guys like it!

Raven stuttered at his question, "Wha…What?" The masked boy turned bright red and said hurriedly, "Of course you don't have to! I didn't mean it like…It's because… You know I'd never… Not that you're…because you are. Goddamnit." It was strange and almost comical the way Robin was acting. Raven felt his embarrassment, and knowing he felt the same gave her enough confidence to say, "No Robin, it's a good idea. I feel safer with you." She stared at her feet during the last sentence and played with the end of her braid. _Look at him in the face coward._ She looked up and saw that the Boy Wonder was smiling. Happiness washed over her, but she only turned her lips up slightly.

"Alright then, let's go. Do you need help?" he asked. _Yes_. "No it's fine. I can do it." The girl took a few steps forward, biting her lip so she wouldn't cry out. _Holy shit this hurts_. The boy rushed over and put her arm over his shoulders and a supportive hand around her waist, carefully avoiding her wounds. "Robin, I…" "Oh shut up and let me at least help you a little. It hurts me when I see you hurt okay?" Robin looked down into her violet eyes and saw the countless emotions she was hiding. They revealed her unwavering trust in him and gratitude. But her fear, confusion, and anger also swam in the pools of her eyes. He was glad he might be able to fix it, even if it was just for one night.

Their bare feet padded across the hall and into Robin's room. No one ever went into his room. "Alright here we are. My room." Raven couldn't believe he was inviting her in. He was just as private about his room as she was about her's. He was letting her have a glimpse of the person behind the mask. When they opened the door, it revealed an immaculate room. The floor was clear of everything and the books on the shelves were perfectly aligned. She suspected that the now disheveled bed could usually be held up to military inspection standards. However, the far right corner was complete chaos. Highlighted newspaper clippings hung from walls bearing all sorts of headlines about criminals. A computer was open on the desk and next to it were stacks and stacks of case folders surrounded by empty coffee mugs. Raven walked closer and briefly glimpsed at a letter that began, 'Dear Bruce.' She only wondered for a second who he was before letting her eyes wander again. A chalkboard propped on the ground was full of names, addresses, and times. Photos and mug shots were littered across the floor. Raven realized that he was staring at her trying to read her expression. She relied on her trusty sarcasm to ease the tension, "Doing some homework?" A relieved laugh broke through Robin, "Yeah just a little here and there."

He walked her over to the bed and sat her down. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt. _Why shouldn't I be comfortable? It's Robin, he's my best friend. _He sat down and faced towards her, "You sure there's nothing I can get you?" His concerned expression stung her. No one should worry about her, she didn't deserve it. "No I just want a friend here right now." That's when she felt herself lose her grip on her emotions and she began to cry. _Stop crying. Get control. Goddammit why can't I control myself? Slade was right… _For the second time that night, Robin wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close. "It's okay Rae I'm here. No one will hurt you while I'm here." The boy held onto the crying girl thinking of all the times he's almost lost her lately. His mind wandered to her lifeless body on the ground which caused him to hold her tighter. She didn't know it, but she was his anchor: the only thing keeping him from going out now and killing Slade for touching her. What Robin didn't know was that she wasn't crying because she was afraid of somebody else, she was crying because she was afraid of herself. Her increasing lack of control terrified her. Would she be willing to give up a part of herself for control? The thought almost made her sick.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she sobbed into his chest. He tucked the escaped pieces of her hair behind her ear and his voice turned serious, "You have nothing to be sorry about. None of this is your fault." _No I really do. I put you and our friends in danger because I am uncontrollable. If I refuse Slade's offer, he'll send even worse criminals to kill us all. And it'll all be my fault._ Robin's voice came again, "Let's lie down so you can sleep." They both settled down onto the bed. He laid down a respectful distance away but Raven could still feel his heart quicken along with her's. The usual cocky Robin was silent lying next to the girl. She could feel his apprehension and her stomach dropped as she thought, _Is he afraid of me?_ But the thought was pushed away when she felt him grab her hand and squeeze. She squeezed back and as the pressure released, the tension between them released too. She scooted closer to him, careful not to pull her remaining stitches. Her body was exhausted from all the healing lately and from all the stress of keeping her emotions under control. She closed her eyes and sighed as her head rested on the boy's shoulder. "Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you Boy Wonder," she whispered into his chest. She felt Robin put his lips to the top of her and whisper huskily, "You'd have a hell of a time finding someone who cares about you as much as I do." _This is what friends do. This is what friends do._ She squeezed his hand in response because really, nothing could be said after that.

The next morning, the girl found her arm wrapped around something and her head tucked in the corner of something strong. The memories for the night before rushed into her mind. _Slade's crushing weight. Robin's embracing arms. Slade's forceful hands. Robin's gentle touch. Slade's hate. Robin's love. No, _she thought_, not love, his care. I can't love or be loved now. I can't drag him into my mess._ However, she found herself still lying in the position she woke up in. Robin's hand gently rested on her arm that was wrapped across his stomach while her head rested on his chest. She tilted her head up to look at his sleeping face. The still-masked boy had his lips slightly parted as he slept and his eyebrows still seemed to be crinkled with worry. She thought it was awfully cliché to be waking up in this position but supposed her subconscious was afraid he'd leave. _He should leave. He'd be a lot safer that way. _Her thought suddenly made her feel sick and she untangled Robin from her grasp. She only wished her heart would do the same.

Her sudden movement caused Robin to sit up quickly and scan the room. It was a habit of his to always be on the lookout, even in places that seem safe. He looked at Raven who was sitting up and facing the opposite wall. He reached out his hand and touched her shoulder, "Hey, how are you feeling?" The concern in his voice only made her feel more disgusted with herself. She had risked his life sleeping next to him last night. She felt her emotions banging on their cages again. Guilt paced back and forth. Sadness howled because she knew she could never get close to anyone, but Anger was breaking its cage. She hated herself for being so selfish and weak. She hated Slade for his sick mind games that got physical. _Oh God_. She was going to have a literal mental breakdown. She had to leave. Raven yanked her shoulder away from Robin as if her skin was poisoning him, "No. I…have to go. I'm sorry. I need to leave." She immediately felt his hurt but forced it away. If she felt anymore emotions, she knew the force of her energy would kill him.

But Robin, being Robin, tried to help. "What's wrong?" The papers in his room started to flutter and wrap in dark energy. Raven could feel her eyes glowing red. She was trying to push it down, but her own emotions began to crash down and drown her. _Selfish Raven. Unloved Raven. Uncontrollable Raven, _the voices in her head chanted. She could hear Robin yelling at her through the chaos and focused on his voice to keep from drowning. Raven couldn't run to him now. He couldn't help her. She was too far way from help. She found enough of herself to run to the door and pull it open only to find Starfire standing in the doorway.

"Shit," she said outloud. She could feel Starfire's confusion and hurt. _No more feelings please_, she begged. Her head was going to explode. "How could you? I thought we were friends Raven…" The alien girl's tears began to run down her face. "It's not what you think Starfire! We were just…Dammit, I'll tell you later okay? I need to go." Guilt was out of its cage now. Her mind was a tornado. She ignored Robin's calls as she phased through the floor and into her room.

Alone, her mind began to calm down, but more things began to fly about the room and crash into walls. Using her powers she built a barrier around the door so no one could disturb her. She sat on the ground among the broken glass, ceramic, and book pages. She rocked back and forth as if her mind was a aby she could cradle to sleep. Her mirror lay shattered on the ground. _Great seven years of bad luck,_ she thought sarcastically. She saw her eyes still glowing red in the mirror so she squeezed her eyes shut and began to speak her usual words, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos." Her mind calmed to a slow-moving storm but left destruction in its wake. _I am not looking forward to cleaning this up_. But another thought dominated her mind and she had to admit it. She loved Robin. Sure he was heartbreakingly beautiful with his jet black hair, perfectly muscular body, and cocky smile, but those aren't the reasons you love someone. She could trust him and he was kind. He knew when she needed her space and knew when he needed to invade it. He treated her with respect and made her laugh. He was the one who made her feel that somewhere inside of her, there was someone who could be loved. He was everything she wanted and needed, but she could never have him. _How does it feel to know that you'll be the one to kill your friends?_ A sharp pang of agony shot through her and caused the mirror to fly across the room and completely shatter. That seemed to be the aftershock and as she was beginning to settle down, the pain returned in her shoulder, stomach, and back. Raven walked to her restroom, peeled off her shirt, and stared in the mirror. She was surprised how well the stitches held up but blood still trickled in angry, red streaks. Her shower was quick and mostly spent cleaning her wounds. She flicked off the light and walked out noting how ugly the jagged cuts looked on her gray skin.

_Robin didn't think so. _Another item flew across the room. _Oh okay Hope, now you decide to speak up. You suck_, she replied to her neglected emotion. She pulled on her usual leotard and cape appreciating its familiarity and decided to go to the roof. Once she was up there, she levitated off the ground and began her meditation, placing all her emotions back in their respective cages. When she finished, she turned around to find Cyborg. _That's weird. Cyborg never goes to the roof._ The roof looked out to the ocean and the robotic man was careful to avoid water. "Hey," she said in monotone. Raven waited for him to ask his usual brother-ish questions: Are you okay? Whose ass do I need to kick? But he asks, "Will you work on the car with me?" _Strange._ It was pretty normal of her to help him in his garage, but he usually asked with a reassuring smile."Uhh sure," she replied hesitantly. _He must be pissed_. They took the elevator down to the basement where all of the Titan's kept their vehicles and special equipment. Raven had nothing down here.

For the first time since he asked her to come with him, he spoke again, "Raven, what is wrong with you?" _Ouch. Wrong with me? _"I…I'm sorry. I've been having a hard time lately with controlling myself. I'm working on it. I'm sorry," she replied to her suddenly cold friend. "Well you really hurt Starfire. What were you even doing in there with him? You know she cares for him. She deserves him more than you." The girl's stomach dropped at Cyborg's words. She knew it was all true but she never expected someone so close to her to say it. She surprised herself by keeping her voice steady and her face void of any emotion, "Nothing happened. He helped me last night because," _Should I tell him? No. There's no need to cause panic_, "I ripped my stitches while I was sleeping. It's not what you're thinking. You know me better than that." He stared at her a replied, "You are always so oblivious to others' feelings. You do nothing but hurt people. You're just a selfish slut." Raven lifted a piece of scrap metal and wrapped it around his neck. Her eyes were glowing as dark energy wrapped around the man. Her voice filled with hatred, "Where's Cyborg?"


	17. Chapter 17

Damn. I had a rough day today.

Read on. Thanks for reviewing!

The man in her grasp broke into a grin, "How'd you guess?" Raven tightened her grip, "Because Cyborg wouldn't dare to call me a slut. Show yourself before you become a permanent part of the wall." She felt a flash of fear from the person in her grip but they just let out a low growl before they began to change. Its skin began to flutter and rippled down to reveal a slim, reptile looking being, each of its scales was a shiny black. Raven guessed it was female by its scaly curves but the tail could've thrown anyone off. Her face and voice did not betray the shock she felt, "So you're a fucking lizard?" Its red eyes stared back at the girl with hatred and hissed, "I'm a shape shifter. You should know what it's like to use a mask to hide the ugliness underneath, demon girl."

With a loud bang, the door to the garage opened. Still in Raven's grasp, the creature's skin fluttered back into Cyborg and shot her a wicked grin before starting to yell and struggle, "Guys, help! I don't know what's wrong with her, she just attacked me!" Raven's face twisted into confusion, "What the…?"

A green starbolt crashed into her side and sent her tumbling across the garage. _Alright that was way more power than necessary_, she thought as she stumbled to get up. Beast Boy's voice hesitantly came from behind, "Raven we don't want to hurt you. We know something is going on with you right now, but you can't just attack your friends, dude. If you come quietly, the consequences will be less severe." She saw Robin walk over to the disguised creature and help it up. Starfire stood beside Beast Boy with her glowing hand pointed at Raven. The violet haired girl felt the panic in her rise but she kept under control, "Guys, you don't understand that's not Cy…"

A crash from across the room interrupted her sentence. The Cyborg impersonator used his sonic cannon to blast the masked boy into the R-cycle and then shifted back into her original scaly form. Starfire shifted her attention away from Raven and threw starbolts at the shape shifter who dodged them gracefully. Robin jumped up and threw bird-a-rangs at her but she just laughed as she fluidly avoided them and pounced towards Beast Boy and Raven. Sharp pieces of scrap metal wrapped in dark energy came at the creature from all angles but never hit their target. The green shape shifter stepped in front of Raven protectively and changed into a bull. An evil smile crept across the scaly creature's face, "Aww you guys are just too cute." Her skin rippled into a Beast Boy green and changed into a mountain lion. The green bull charged but the mountain lion hopped over it, digging its claws into its back, and landing in front of Raven. This time its skin fluttered into a gray and shifted into an exact replica of Raven and flung itself at her. Without any time to react, the creature got Raven on the floor and held her down. The rest of the Titan's ran over to attack, but the impersonator threw up a force field to block them.

Raven froze underneath the villain in shock, "How are you controlling my powers? It takes years of…" "Years of training, I know, blah blah blah," the shifter interrupted, "but that's the beauty of my powers. When I take the form of someone, I only get all the plus sides of them. For example, I get all your powers, but since I'm not an emotional demon bitch, I have complete control." The last part filled Raven with anger and she blasted off the creature who hit the wall and hissed. "Where's Cyborg?" she demanded. The shifter got up, "So feisty. Slade said you would be. I have a message from him. And don't worry your friend is fine. I just forged a note and sent him on some errands." Raven's eyes glowed red at Slade's name, "Tell him to shove it up his…" In her anger, she was caught off guard and pinned to the ground by her clone out of the other Titans' view. "Oh Rae, don't you see? Slade can help you. He helped me and now I'm more powerful than ever. He's even taken Predator under his wing," she squirmed under the imposter's grip but it just continued, "He finds you very interesting you know. He said he had a nice time with you last night." The creature finished its sentence by stroking Raven's cheek. The girl spat in its face, but it just got closer and whispered, "Slade said if you gave me any trouble to just do this." It dug its thumb into Raven's wound and she screamed in pain. Some of the light bulbs shattered and the force field blocking the other Titans dropped. Raven's eyes glowed white and she sent a trashcan hurtling at her attacker, but again it dodged and smiled and said loud enough for only Raven to hear, "Let's create some confusion shall we?"

The Titans ran forward to attack, but stopped. Beast Boy was the first to speak up, "Well shit! Which one is she?" "Me!" both Ravens said at the same time. Robin looked conflicted but finally said, "Raven, I'm really sorry about this, but I hope you understand. Titans Go! Attack both; you'll know which one is her. Beast Boy and Starfire you get that one," he said pointing at the imposter, "And I'll get this one," he said pointing at Raven. _No I can't fight Robin. Not in my unstable condition, I'll kill him. Defense only, _she thought quickly.

Immediately, the fight begun with Robin launching at her with his bow staff. She blocked it with a force field, but was surprised at how hard he hit. _He doesn't know it's you._ She levitated off the ground above the Boy Wonder. _Thank God he can't fly._ But as soon as she thought it, a starbolt knocked her to the ground and she skidded across the floor. _Well Starfire doesn't really give a shit if it's you or not right now._ She jumped to get back up but two sharp discs flew through the air and pinned her cape to the ground. _This is why I shouldn't wear a cape._ Robin ran over and jumped on top of her and held the bow to her neck. His voice came out harsher than she expected, "Where's Cyborg?" _Don't take it personally._ "I don't know," she choked out, but behind the masked boy, she rose up some extension cord and wrapped it around him and pulled him away from her. Beast Boy's voice called from across the room,

"Dude! I think we have the real Raven! She hasn't fought back!" Raven felt herself panic, "No that's not…" she turned around to face Robin but her face only met with his bow staff. The force knocked her to the ground and she felt her head throb and her mouth fill with blood. A laugh silenced the room. The imposter Raven shifted back into her original form, "Well Raven it seems your friends don't know you as well as you hoped they did. I hope my messaged was received. Bye Titans." With that, she shifted into a Beast Boy-shade bird and left the silenced garage.

Raven saw black dots in front of her eyes. _Damn was he trying to knock off my head?_ The girl felt Robin drop to his knees beside her, "Raven, I'm so sorry." She knew he was too. She felt his grief like it was her own. But the creature's words rung in her head along with the pain,_ 'It seems your friends don't know you as well as you hoped.' _The girl spat her blood on the floor and responded in monotone, "You did what you had to do." That wasn't enough for the boy, "No I should've known. You're my best friend. I can't believe I did that…" Robin was disgusted with himself. He couldn't look at the angry red mark he left on Raven's face. After all his training, he should've known which one was the real Raven. How could he hurt someone he loved when all he wanted was to protect her…Raven's empty voice interrupted his thoughts, "It's fine. I'm gonna go get some ice. Nice arm by the way Boy Wonder." Her eyes scanned the room and she spoke again, "Cyborg is gonna be so pissed when he sees this."

As if on cue, Cyborg walked through the door with a large grocery bag and looking at a list and spoke, "Man you guys wanted some weird shit. I had to run across town to find all of this stu…" He looked up and his eyes bulged, "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN HERE?" When his eyes caught Raven's face, he dropped the bag and stepped in front of her, holding her chin and turning her head to the side. His voice hinted anger, "Who did this?" The girl threw up her hood and phased through the floor. She couldn't handle Robin's grief, Cyborg's concern, Starfire's anger, and Beast Boy's confusion: especially since it was all her fault.

(I wanted this chapter to be darker, but I still think it turned out alright. I was just really focused on adding this new villain. Now what to name her…hmmm. Ps I know she seems like X-Men's Mystic but what can ya do. Dear X-Deyoxis-X, I hope I did a better job with paragraph placement! Sometimes I just hit the enter bar when I feel like it but I tried to be a bit more organized this time. Thanks for the tip!)


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks for the positive feedback of last chapter! And of course thank you for reading and reviewing. I love to hear your guys' thoughts.

Raven arrived to her room and began tearing the blood-stained sheets off her bed. They were tossed in the trashcan as she used her powers to lift the shards of glass off the floor. She walked to the bathroom and flipped on the light to see the mark on her face. Sure it was ugly, but nothing that won't heal within a few hours. But she wasn't sure what stung more, the bruise swelling across her cheek or the fact that her friends couldn't tell it was her. _Well it's not like you give them enough information to go off of. _The girl walked out, sighed, and looked around the bare room, glad that her most important books were stored away in her closet. It looked like an asylum with the bare, white mattress and empty walls. She fell onto her bed. _Well I belong in an asylum so it's perfect_, she thought dryly. Raven closed her eyes and chanted her mantra, leaving the bare room behind and entering the chaos that was her mind.

She woke up with the dim glow of evening barely lighting her room and groaned as she touched the side of her head. She knew the mark would be gone by now but the obvious concussion would take until tomorrow to heal. She got up and walked down the hall towards the kitchen and living room. She heard video games being played along with outbursts of cuss words. When she came into view, Cyborg paused the game and turned around with an arm draped over the back of the couch, "Hey girl, you need anything?" Raven walked towards the cabinets and brought out a tea bag, "No. Thanks though."While boiling the water, Beast Boy set down the controller and walked over, "Hey Rae your face doesn't look any worse than it usually does!" She sighed and replied monotonously, "Now why would you insult me when I have boiling water right here?" The girl felt his hand on her shoulder when he said, "Dude, Robin feels really bad. You know he didn't mean it right? He'd never hurt you."

Raven dipped the tea bags in the water and turned towards the green-skinned boy. Instead of his usual mischievous smile, his lips were turned down in concern. She replied with a slight reassuring smile, "I know he didn't. As a leader, he did what he had to do. Why did you think I was mad at him?" Beast Boy ran his hand through his hair, "Well I mean he did kinda treat your head like a piñata," Raven narrowed her eyes at him but he continued, "And Cyborg blew him some shit for hitting you." This caused the girl to groan, "Ahh, now why'd you have to do that?" The robotic man answered while facing the T.V., "'Cause no one hits you and gets away with it, no matter who it is." She felt herself swell with admiration for her unofficial big brother, but pushed it down remembering the powerful feeling of Robin's guilt. She poured herself some tea, sat down next to Cyborg, and turned towards him, "Thanks for having my back, but you know he didn't mean to don't you?" He paused the game again and smiled, "Of course I know that Rae, I just hated seeing you hurt. You seemed so upset and since it seemed like you weren't gonna yell at him, then I'd have to." She rolled her eyes, but gave him a small smile back before answering, "I'd hate to be on the receiving end of your anger." He had already restarted the game before his smile grew even bigger and he replied, "Right back at you." _You have no idea._

She stood up and looked into her tea mug when she announced, "I'm gonna go talk to him." She didn't notice the unusually quiet Starfire until she spoke up, "Oh is that what it is called? 'Talking'?" her voice dripped with uncharacteristic sarcasm. Raven was annoyed. She didn't need Starfire's unnecessary jealousy toying with her mind. She sighed before answering, "Nothing happened. You don't know what you're talking about. We'll discuss it later." Beast Boy asked indifferently looking at the television, "What are you guys talking about?" The alien girl stared Raven down while answering, "Robin and Raven slumbered in the same room last night." Beast Boy dropped the controller and his car on the screen crashed into a building. Cyborg whipped his head towards Raven and yelled, "WHAT? AND DON'T YOU DISAPPEAR INTO THE FLOOR BECAUSE YOU ARE ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS NOW." Raven felt her face turn bright red, but her emotions were only slightly stirred when she answered, "All of you are being ridiculous. I was hurt last night and Robin helped me out. Nothing happened."

Cyborg's eyes settled into suspicion before turning back to his game and saying, "Man that kid better not think he's safe from me kicking his ass." A sly grin stretched across Beast Boy's face as he also turned back to the game and said, "Way to go Robin." A pillow surrounded in Raven's power beat the shape shifters head, but he just laughed in response. Starfire jumped up from her spot and flew out of the room leaving a trail of anger and betrayal. The boys looked at Raven and she answered, "That's a whole other problem. I'll talk to you guys later." She phased through the floor before they could ask anything.

She arrived outside of Robin's room and knocked on the door. She leaned in close, but didn't hear the sound of footsteps so she spoke out loud, "Alright Robin I hope you're not naked because I'm coming in." Raven phased through his door and looked around to find that he picked up the mess she had left behind and everything was back in perfect order. The empath felt the thick fog of grief coming from the boy sitting at the cluttered desk. She walked over and pulled a stool over next to him and sat down. _Shit,_ she thought. She was not good at consoling people. That was Robin's thing and maybe Cyborg's but definitely not her's. She said the first thing she could think of, "Hey you."

The Boy Wonder turned his head and looked her in the face. Raven felt his surprise and guessed it was probably because the mark he left was gone. He reached up and cupped the healed side of her face and gently stroked it with his thumb and said quietly, "Hey you." The girl's head buzzed with thoughts, but she closed her eyes at the boy's touch and said, "I'm the one who shuts herself up in her room Boy Wonder. Are you trying to steal my thing?" She felt his smile and opened her eyes to look at it. He moved his chair so he was facing her and leaned over so his elbows rested on his knees and his hands dangled between them. His masked eyes found her face when he said, "Maybe, but what are you gonna do about it?" The heavy feeling of grief diluted in the room and Raven ventured to say, "Don't worry. I won't fight you for it. I'm still recovering." Robin dropped his head and she felt the fog begin to thicken between them. _Good one Raven._ "It's not funny Raven. I could've seriously hurt you." She tried again, "Now I think you're giving yourself too much credit."

"Seriously, I feel like a dick."

"Well I mean you can't help it, that is your real name."

Finally, she nudged him with her leg and he looked up. She leaned forward to mimic his position so she was looking into his eyes. "That was not your fault," she said, "you were thinking about the safety of your other teammates too. I much rather you worry about them than me anyways." He did a quick shake of his head and gave an exasperated sigh before he looked back up at her and said, "Raven that's the thing. Someone needs to worry about you. You go out on dark dangerous streets alone, you take on dangerous villains alone, and you handle your problems alone. Why are you so determined to be alone?" The girl dropped her head and pushed back the sadness and tears before answering quietly, "Because I deserve to be alone. I can't drag you into this because I can't be saved."

Robin reached out and lifted up the girl's chin and gently held her face in his palm. Her amethyst eyes looked up at him and they held him there. He knew how much pain and suffering she had gone through and yet those eyes could still hold that look. He loved that about her. He loved her. His voice came out in a husky whisper, "I can save you."

The he kissed her.

At first, Raven was in shock, but she quickly responded like she needed it. It felt like she had been holding her holding her breath and now she could finally exhale. Love and Happiness slipped through their cages and gave her the confidence to pull herself closer to Robin. His hand moved from the side of her face towards the back of her head where his fingers tangled in her wavy hair. Her hand had reached up and held the side of his face. She felt his happiness illuminate the room and she smiled during the kiss and he smiled back.

The light bulb in the desk lamp shattered and they pulled apart in surprise. In the complete darkness, Robin laughed. Raven heard the unfamiliar sound of her own laugh before she whispered, "Sorry." She felt his smile when he said, "I think that was worth a light bulb."


	19. Chapter 19

So I thought I'd take some time to respond to you wonderful reviewers from these last couple chapters =] A special shout out to mid-morning rain for the Cy/Rae connection in this chapter!

Thank you all for reading and reviewing!

Twyll: I'll fight you for him…just kidding! I'm glad you love him! I was hoping to make him swoon-worthy haha so I'm glad I got your approval =]

ahsokalo: Thank you so much! I hope you keep enjoying it! And oh no, it's far from over ;]

callenlover1031: Thank you! Here's your update! I'll try to be faster! Haha

NJ7009: =] and I'm glad you liked chapter 17! I appreciate your enthusiasm!

ZDrive: YAY! Thank you! I hope you continue to love it!

mid-morning rain: I'm glad you liked it! Also, thanks for the Cyborg idea! I love their brother/sister connection

Rosalba: Wow, that's a huge compliment. I'm glad you enjoyed it! and it means a lot that you think I'm a great writer =]

LottyPL: If you're worried about Starfire, I have a feeling you'll like this chapter ;] Thank you!

acrobats they tumble: gotta love RobRae =] Thank you!

KuzonWolf: That was my goal! Yay! Thank you!

It took the sudden darkness to remind Raven of her own that she had shoved down. _You shouldn't have done that. _She jumped off of her stool and stumbled in the darkness. Robin caught her but she felt his unwavering concern, "Raven? What's wrong?" She tried to pull out of his grasp, but he just held on. The girl's voice came out in an uncharacteristic stutter, she needed to leave before she hurt him, "I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…I wish…but I can't." She tugged again, but he just held her closer before saying, "No Raven, I'm not gonna let you leave this time to handle this on your own. What's wrong? Was it something I did?" She settled her nerves enough to reach up and touch his cheek, "No, no you did nothing wrong. I can't do this with you Robin. I want to. God I want to. But I can't trust myself with you. I could hurt you and I could never forgive myself if I did." Her tongue burned when she spoke God's name, reminding her of the evil she was born with. The demon child of Trigon was not allowed to speak His name.

Raven began to move her hand, but the boy reached out and held it there before speaking, "I trust you Rae. Hell, you'd know I'd put my life in your hands. But you cannot stand here and tell me that you don't want to hurt me, leave, and expect that not to destroy me. It'd be different if you didn't feel the same way. I'd let you walk out of here and never bother you again. But if you think I could be the one to make you happy, please stay Raven. Because I want nothing more than to be that person." Raven felt Robin's love in his words. They lingered like his kiss. She knew she should be pushing him away but his words kept her there. The feeling of his love was strong and pure, like sunlight on your skin. Raven was afraid her love wouldn't feel that that. Instead it would be tainted and wild, like scattered showers, it would be either too much or too little at a time. Love would be a tricky emotion to control. It, unlike other emotions, can't be caged and held down. It would always run freely, out of her control, and the idea terrified her.

She kept her voice controlled despite the turmoil in her heart, "Robin. I don't deserve you. You are all light and I am all dark. I can't let myself suffocate you with my secrets and the demons I try so hard to hide, but can't control." Robin's desperation clung to her and tightened like ropes. He wanted her so badly to understand that he knew there were risks, but that she was all worth it. She spoke again barely above a whisper, "No matter how hard I try, I can't change." This time Robin was the one who reached out and held her face with both of his hands, "I wouldn't want you to. Raven, I…"

He was interrupted by three loud knocks at the door and Cyborg's voice, "I better not be interrupting anything." Robin cussed under his breath before answering, "Come in." The robotic man opened the door and the two birds had to squint to adjust their eyes to the hallway light. They could make out his large silhouette and saw him reach for Robin's main light switch. _Ow._ Cyborg's voice came again, "First off, don't let me catch you in his room with the lights off again," Raven rolled her eyes, "Secondly, would you care to explain this to me?" The girl saw him hold up bloody sheets, her sheets, and toss them on the ground. _Shit._

"Uhhh, nosebleed?" she offered dryly. She looked towards Robin and saw that he was staring at the red linens. She felt his anger again and saw his fists clench in memory of what she had told him. "Oh bullshit Rae," said an agitated Cyborg, but he saw her conflicted face and his voice turned back to concern, "What happened last night?" The memory washed over Raven. _Slade's rough exploring hands, his crushing weight, the blinding pain._ The girl threw her hood up over her violet hair and walked over to Robin's window. She really didn't want to talk about it. It wasn't that she was afraid of Slade; it was that she was afraid she needed him. She stared at the city's lights when she answered in monotone, "It's not worth talking about." Raven knew Robin wanted to reach out and hold her, she could feel him thinking about it. She wished she could let him.

Cyborg finally broke the silence, "Rae, if something happened, you can tell us. We can help you." Raven banged her fist on the glass trying to hold in her anger, "Nothing happened. I don't need help. I can handle it." Robin cut in, "Raven if you don't mind, I'm going to tell Cyborg what happened so he doesn't worry." He wanted so badly to reach out to the girl facing the window, but knew she'd push him away. So, he gave her the space that seemed like a mile. She supported her upper body weight with her hands on the window sill, leaned her forehead against its glass, and sighed with resignation, "I don't care."

As Robin told Cyborg about Slade's visit, Raven closed her eyes and felt the cool glass on her head. She concentrated on this feeling so she wouldn't have to hear the retelling of her story and feel the boys' emotions. She was so tired, so incredibly tired. The past week she had to heal herself too many times, twice from near death. It was only now that the exhaustion was catching up to her. She didn't want to move she just wanted to sleep…next to Robin… _NO,_ she mentally yelled at herself. She was jerked awake by Cyborg's static-feeling anger. "He's a dead man. I'll kill him." Robin nodded at the robotic man, agreeing with him. Raven felt their eyes on her back and heard the heavy footsteps of the large man walk to the door. He stared back again at Raven to see if she'd say anything. He gave up and finally said, "Alright well Rae you know where to find me. I'm gonna get back to investigating that…thing we met today." And with that, he left the room.

She felt Robin come up behind her and turn her around gently before asking, "You okay?" Raven's body felt so heavy, weighed down by everyone's emotions including her own. Every ounce of energy had done into her healing and the fight and…that kiss… She couldn't help but think that she wouldn't mind this extreme fatigue had it been caused by a kiss like that. She thought about how Robin's kiss seemed to make everything feel so right even when things were so wrong. He must've read her mind because he lowered her hood and the Boy Wonder kissed her again, deeper this time, pinning her against the window. All her reservations were lost as she pulled him closer by his strong shoulders. Lust was a dangerous emotion and left her in a drunken haze while it fed ravenously. Raven had starved that emotion, afraid of what it would make her do. And all of the sudden, she couldn't remember why she wanted to give this up. His hand travelled down to the small of her back and pulled her body to his. She could feel his heart pounding on her chest. She stopped when a voice in her mind whispered, _Selfish. You could have killed him._ His heartbeat reminded her of his life that she could easily end.

The voice was right. She had let one of her emotions completely take her over. She had let it block out her conscience. Raven gently pushed Robin away and ashamed, whispered, "I'm sorry. I…I lost control." He stared back at her, still in a daze of what just happened, "Don't be sorry." She shook her head and moved away from him, "I could've hurt you." This time the boy shook his head, "No you wouldn't have." She threw back up her hood, "I don't trust myself around you." She began to move towards the door, but with his quick reflexes, he caught her hand and said, "I won't give up on you Raven." She carefully pulled away before saying, "You should." The girl transformed into a shadowy raven and dove through the floor.

Raven changed into her pajama shorts and a gray t-shirt and left her hair down when she walked toward the kitchen. As she moved through the dark hallways, she grazed her fingers across her lips where Robin's had been. When she finally got what she wanted, she couldn't have. When the girl arrived at the kitchen, the light was already on and Starfire was sitting at the bar over a bowl of…something. She turned around to see who was there, but once she saw Raven, she returned to her bowl . Careful not to bother the beautiful alien, the girl moved towards the refrigerator and soundlessly pulled out a delivery pizza box. The only noise in the room was the beeping of the microwave as Raven heated up the pizza.

She knew she had to say something, but again found herself thinking about how she sucked at consoling. She got out the pizza and turned around. "I'm sorry," the two girls said once. They both smirked in response. Raven continued, "I never meant to hurt you Starfire." The alien girl set down her spoon before saying, "No friend, it is I who should be sorry. I was only thinking of the happiness of myself and not of you. If you and Robin want to be together, that is fine with me." Raven was shocked at her friend's newfound maturity and forgot the rest of her own apology. Now, she couldn't deny that something happened, because something did. Her lips tingled at the memory. _Great Rae, now you look like an asshole._ "Starfire, Robin and I can't be together. I'm not good for him." Starfire nodded once and then looked down at her empty bowl while she said, "I have noticed that people of Earth are attracted to things that aren't good for them." "That is why they die for such stupid reasons," as soon as she said it, Raven wished she could've taken it back when she saw the alien's face. Starfire looked at her with a beautiful, sad face when she answered, "Love is not a stupid thing to die for. And I believe friend Robin knows that."

"Loving me and being loved by me isn't worth death," Raven barely whispered. Starfire got up from her seat and pulled Raven into a hug before saying, "Some would disagree, friend." The violet-haired girl never felt so much affection for her friend in all their time together. While being warmed by her friend's affection, she also hated herself for being a danger to her, Robin, and the rest of the Titans. She looked back and Starfire and asked, "So…are we friends again?" The alien smiled so big that her whole body seemed to glow, "We always were." Raven smiled back and they finished their food and went off to bed.


	20. Chapter 20

Figured out today how the rest of the story will play out. I'm excited =]

Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Three days passed and the Titan's alarm never went off. The team was getting restless and the sudden disappearance of the two new criminals they encountered was disturbing. Robin took it the hardest, spending nights pacing in his room or researching. Sometimes, he even went on minor patrols in the city late at night by himself. Raven would lay awake at night feeling his uneasiness and would follow him when he went out. She hid in the shadows keeping an eye on the boy she shouldn't love.

During the days, however, she would feel Robin's eyes watch her with concern and curiosity. He wanted to know what kept the girl's mind so preoccupied. He also wanted her to kiss him again and let him hold her. Because for that brief moment she did let him, he felt more content than he had in a long time. Raven was afraid to give him any more than a glance because if they locked eyes, she knew he'd see that she was hiding something. They barely exchanged more than a few words throughout the day, even with so many words left unsaid.

On the third day, the team was all lounging around T.V. watching a Man vs. Food marathon. Robin was stretched across the couch napping. His eyes still crinkled with worry, making him look much older than 18. Starfire sat at Robin's feet, her eyes glued to the man on the television trying to eat a 3 lb burger. Raven sat near the window reading a book while Beast Boy laid on his stomach on the ground, his chin resting on a pillow as he stared up at the T.V. Cyborg was the only one missing from the group, taking Robin's place researching. The mesmerized alien finally spoke up, "I do not understand why this food is a challenge. Does he consider it too small?" Raven smirked at her friend's misunderstanding and answered, "No, the food is too much for the average human being to eat, Star. It's a disgusting show highlighting gluttony in America." Robin had jumped from the sound of Raven's voice as if he was waiting to hear it. At the sight, Love tightened around the girl's heart until she shook it loose and pushed it away. It would be no use to lock it up because the mere presence of the Boy Wonder always brought it back. Starfire's eyes widened again, "He thinks that is too much? That would barely feed a young Tamaranian!"

From the ground Beast Boy snorted but then rolled over and groaned, "Dudes, I'm so fucking bored. Can we please go do something? Wereperv hasn't snacked on anyone lately and lizard-lady-man-thing hasn't been playing dress-up so can we please go do something?" The beautiful alien let out an award-winning grin, "Oh, please friends? We can go to the ma…" Raven lowered her book and raised an eyebrow at the girl. Starfire's face fell, "Oh yes. I have forgotten…" Robin still had his eyes closed, but she could see his body visibly tense at the memory of the mall where he was covered in Raven's blood. The memory of him crying, begging her not to leave him flashed through her head and she pushed it down, remembering his agony.

The sound of Cyborg's metal footsteps interrupted the disturbing memory. Raven could feel his determination and purpose, an emotion she often picked up from Robin before a mission. It made her curious so she set down her book and directed her attention towards the half-metal man. "Guys, you might wanna take a look at this," he said as he brought out his laptop. Up on the screen, was a picture of the black lizard creature that the Titans caught on their security cameras. Cyborg continued, "This here is Mimic and as I'm sure most of you know, she is a shape shifter. However, much like Beast Boy, she not only takes the appearance of another, but also their skills." A clip showed of Mimic morphing into Beast Boy and another where she changed into Raven. Robin stood close to Raven, but his eyes were glued to the screen when he asked, "What's her crime history?" Cyborg typed away and answered, "She doesn't have a mug shot because she was never caught, but she is linked to major crimes throughout other cities such as; grand theft, arson, identity theft, and murder." Starfire spoke up quietly, "She will be most difficult to catch." The group silently agreed with her, but Cyborg continued, "That's not even the most disturbing thing. I found this on the security camera over where Mimic and Raven disappeared from your view." More typing followed and then footage of the two identical girls popped up. As Raven watched, she tightened up hoping that the other Titans wouldn't hear the conversation. Mimic was straddling Raven and speaking but no one could hear what they were saying. _Thank God,_ she thought. Then on the screen, Mimic plunged her fingers into the other girl's wound and on-screen Raven soundlessly screamed. That's where robotic man paused it, "That's what bothers me, how did she know about Raven's wound?"

Raven felt her nervousness rise. Knowing that she couldn't tell them the whole story, she offered what she could, "Because Slade told her." All eyes were shifted from the screen and directed on her. Beast Boy stared at her in confusion, "But how would Slade know?" The girl felt Cyborg and Robin both tense again, searching for her response. She kept her voice in perfect monotone when answered, "Because he paid me a little visit a few nights ago." Beast Boy's face turned agitated, "Wait what do you mean 'paid a visit'? What aren't you telling us?" Raven looked to Robin who had his jaw clenched and revenge on his face. She knew he was leaving it up to her to tell this time, "He said he was sending worse criminals our way." Starfire looked up from her own feet, "I am confused friends, why did he go to Raven and not us?"

_Shit,_ she thought. But as she was trying to come up with an answer, Robin spoke up, "He probably went to her because she wasn't in any condition to fight back. He could get in, deliver his message, and get out without worrying about being attacked." Raven felt herself relaxed, but was heavy with guilt. Robin was unknowingly helping her lie. The group nodded in agreement. Then Cyborg spoke up, "On the bright side, I've found some leads. People at a club downtown have been reporting their friends and relatives acting strangely and asking for money and then when they encountered them later, they had no memory of it." Robin stood with his arms crossed and added, "Sounds like that could be Mimic pretending to be those people." For the first time in the conversation, Raven was lost along with her teammates, "But why is she committing such petty crimes? Wouldn't somebody working for Slade be committing crimes on a much grander scale?" Beast Boy, Starfire, and Cyborg exchanged looks, seeing if any of them knew, but Robin's confidence cut through their confusion.

"She's just trying to get our attention. She wants us to go to that club for whatever reason and I intend to find out what it is. Titans, we're going undercover tonight." Beast Boy's eyes lit up, "Yes! We're going clubbing!" Starfire lifted off the group and squealed, "I do enjoy the dancing so very much!" Even Cyborg's mood seemed to lift. Raven and Robin were the only ones skeptical and the boy's face was serious when he said, "Titans do not forget the seriousness of this mission. We'll remain discreet unless forced. I suggest you dress accordingly." Raven groaned but the news only made the alien girl squeal again with excitement, "I have a dress that is most perfect!" _I really rather not dress up…_

Raven thought desperately for a way out of it, "How about I patrol the outside of the club? I could just wear this…" Beast Boy cut her off, "Oh yeah, real discreet Rae. A girl with purple hair wearing a cloak just walking around the outside of a club. No one will know who you are." Cyborg laughed, but the girl scowled at the shape shifter. "Beast Boy's right," added Robin, "besides you should be inside with us so we can all keep an eye on each other." The girl rolled her eyes but decided not to argue. She wanted to protect her friends. She mentally prepared herself for another loud squeal when she asked, "Starfire, I have nothing to wear…can I…"

She was cut off by the alien girl hugging her, "Oh friend, I have waited so long for you to ask me to assist you in the dressing up!" Starfire grabbed Raven's hand and pulled her with her supernatural strength towards her room. Raven saw the look of amusement on the Boy Wonder's face before being pulled from the room and couldn't help but smile to herself.

A couple hours later, Raven stood staring at the mirror very surprised. She was impressed with how Starfire managed to dress her up, but still let her keep her style. She was wearing black sequined shorts that were short enough that they showed off her long legs, but were classy enough to cover her butt. Paired with it, she wore a white, flowy, cropped tank top that stopped just a little above her belly button. On her wrist, she wore a series of bracelets, one being her red jewel communicator in disguise. Her wavy hair was pinned half-up, but a few pieces up front were left out up front. Her eyes were lined dark and smokey and her lips were left natural. "I really appreciate you helping me Star, I don't know what I would've done without you." The alien girl finished lining her beautiful green eyes before she smiled big and said, "You're welcome! I am happy you let me! You can keep that outfit you know. You look most magnificent."

Raven looked at her friend and thought that if she was magnificent then Starfire was something they haven't made a word for yet. Then alien girl wore a dark purple sleeveless dress that cut low so low in the back, it revealed her entire back. The dress was short and showed off her mile-long legs which ended with lavender high-heels. Her long fire-red hair was in a low pony that had loose strands framing her beautiful face. Raven smiled at her friend, "You are a knock-out." Starfires face turned horrified, "I did not realize I have knocked you out! Are you hurt!" The violet-haired girl laughed and a lightbulb in the vanity exploded. She felt annoyed at her lack of control, but answered the concerned girl, "It's just a saying, don't worry. It means you look beautiful." An award-winning grin spread across the alien's face, "Thank you friend."

The girls went to the living room where the boys were waiting. Beast Boy was wearing a black T-shirt and skinny jeans. Cyborg had on regular jeans but wore a blue jacket with a hood to cover the robotic side of his face. Robin also had regular jeans and wore a red jacket while replacing his mask with sunglasses that wouldn't fall off. Starfire walked through the door and all of their eyes went on her. Even after years of being with the boy Titans, her effect on them never faded. They gave her compliments and she graciously accepted them with a huge smile. Raven then walked into the room indifferently and moved towards the kitchen where she could get a glass of water. _Dressing up is hard work._ Her thoughts were interrupted by stares and explosive feelings of surprise. She set down her glass, "What? What's wrong?" Beast Boy's face spread into a mischievous grin, "Rae, you look hot!" The girl choked on her water, "Excuse me?" Cyborg smacked the boy upside the head before saying, "What BB was trying to say was that you look very pretty. Too pretty. Now go change." The girl rolled her eyes, but then became hyperconscious of Robin's eyes on her. That was when she felt his Want. It felt like a dull ache and it throbbed throughout her body and she wanted him in return. She wanted to touch him and kiss him and taste him and…her glass flew across the room and shattered. Raven blushed at her own thoughts and was annoyed that she let Lust take control again. "Sorry," she murmured as she used her powers to pick up her mess and throw it away.

Beast Boy clapped his hands together to break the silence and said, "Well… that was weird. Now let's go!" As they were heading out the door, the two birds were the last ones out. As Raven started to walk out, Robin grabbed her hand and whispered in her ear, "You look beautiful." Above them, a light bulb exploded. Raven replied almost breathlessly, "I'm sorry." Robin's lips tilted into a playful smile, "I think it was just mad that you out-shone it." The girl rolled her eyes, "That was pretty lame Boy Wonder. Keep your mind on the game." The boy only smiled wider, "Only if I can keep my eyes on you." Raven almost smiled. Almost. "Ugh just get in the damn car."


	21. Chapter 21

As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate the tips, advice, and enthusiasm! =]

Much love

theblackbirdsong

The Titans stood across the street looking at the long line that stretched outside the club. The night was dark and clear, noises only coming from passer-bys, cars, and the bass inside the club. "The line is so long!" complained Beast Boy. Raven leaned in the shadows against a building wall slightly away from the group. While the others discussed the length of the line, a group of guys walked by staring at Starfire. As they walked away, Raven heard them make an inappropriate mark about her friend so she used her powers to trip them. _Pigs, _she thought with disgust. An unnecessary flash of anger shot through her body. _No, no, no you're fine. Stay in control._ Beast Boy's voice brought her out of her mind.

"You gotta be 18 to get in! Guys, I'm only 17! What the fuck am I supposed to do?" Cyborg laughed at his friends expense, "Dude I completely forgot you were still a baby." Raven rolled her eyes before saying, "You must've forgotten that you're a shape shifter and can just transform into a fly to get in, dumbass." Robin flashed her a grin while Cyborg and Starfire laughed. Robin regained his seriousness and said, "Raven, you and Beast Boy head on in before us, but stick together. We'll get in line. Remember guys, this is a mission, so treat it as such. Be aware of your surroundings, but blend in. If you need help, press on the communicators you have incorporated in your disguises. Titans go."

The shape shifter changed into a fly while Raven wrapped herself in dark energy, flew into the sky, and dove into the building. She silently landed herself in a bathroom stall which she exited. There were three girls standing at the mirror touching up their hair. They looked at her out of the corner of their eyes and she felt their curiosity and…jealousy? One of them, who was wearing a very unflattering belly shirt, asked her, "Where did you come from?" Raven was ready to lie. She had become good at lying, "I've been in here for a while." The two other girls smirked at each other knowingly and she felt their amusement and pity. One of the other girls asked, "Did you drink too much?" Raven nodded and replied, "Yeah. Guess I should've stopped after that last shot." The girls laughed and the one in the belly-shirt said, "I know what you mean. You just gotta control yourself!"

_You have no idea._ "It's a lot harder than it sounds," Raven said to herself before leaving the club restroom.

When she walked out towards the floor, she did not see a bunch of individuals, but rather one large being. It looked like a giant, writhing snake with each person as a scale, gliding against one another. The pounding bass was its heartbeat and it kept the snake moving with its shining scales. The empath breathed in all the emotions and they hummed through her mind and almost seemed tangible. They weren't complex feelings, mostly just lust and drunken happiness. So much to her relief, she was able to push them away. The girl moved towards the being to search for her teammates.

She spotted a large man in a blue jacket by the door and knew it was Cyborg. He scanned the crowd and nodded at her when she caught his eye. She followed the stares of the men in the club and the jealous feelings of the women and saw Starfire walking through the middle of the floor. She smiled at Raven, but continued patrolling the floor. She turned and saw Beast Boy at the bar flirting with two beautiful girls that were far out of his league. He looked up at her and casually waved, which gave the girls a chance to walk away. The boy saw their departure, but just shrugged and moved on to the next girls.

Raven left the busy floor and stood in the darker corners of the club. A couple was getting hot and heavy not too far from her. She looked away from their sloppy PDA and resumed her scanning. She wondered where Robin was, but figured he was better at blending in than a half-robot, a green-skinned boy, a tall beautiful alien, and an anti-social, purple-haired girl. She inwardly groaned with a guy on the dance floor caught her eye and walked up to her with an overly-confident stride.

He was a couple of feet away from her when she smelled the alcohol lingering off of him. His emotions were muddled, but she felt his lust. _Is everyone here this horny?_ The guy's face stretched into a smile as he invaded her personal space. His body was almost completely touching her when he said, "Dance with me." Raven felt the dangerous flash of anger, but held it down. Just because the guy was rude, doesn't mean he deserved to die. She pushed him off of her and kept her voice bored, "You're not even going to ask?" The guy pushed himself up against her again and laughed. His words slurred as he clumsily brushed the hair back from her face, "Didn't think I had to by the way you were looking at me."

The wave of anger went higher this time, threatening to overflow. Her voice, however, did not portray the dangerous high tide inside her, "No. Get off of me now. I don't want to hurt you." The girl felt his amusement break through his drunken haze. His eyes gleamed when he said, "That's okay baby. I like it a little rough. Now come on…" He was interrupted by being suddenly jerked back. Robin stood there gripping the guy by the back of his shirt.

Raven felt Robin's anger and his voice was dangerously calm when he said, "She said no." He pushed the guy who turned around and said, "Fuck you man," before rejoining the crowd. Raven avoided the Boy Wonder's eyes and scanned across the crowd while saying, "I had it under control. You didn't need to save me." The boy leaned against the wall next to her and scanned too, but turned to look at her when he said, "It wasn't you I was saving. I could practically feel you holding your anger back Rae. Are you sure you have everything under control?"

She choked back all the things she wanted to tell him. No, she didn't have control. Slade was offering her help and it was so tempting to take it especially if it meant keeping her friends safe. She loved him and wanted him with every fiber of her being but she couldn't get close to him because she could kill him. Instead, she swallowed the lump of words in her throat and answered, "Yes I'm sure." His worry lingered, but he answered, "Okay good. I'm going to scan the crowd some more and talk to some people. Try not to get in trouble." She smirked and replied, "I can't promise that."

Even behind his glasses, she knew he rolled his eyes and while he walked away he said, "Of course you can't."The boy disappeared in the overcrowded room and Raven continued to watch for anything suspicious. Suddenly, a security guard walked over to her. _Busted._

"Excuse me ma'am, but I'm afraid I don't recognize you from the door. Could you please step outside and show me some I.D.?" _At least I'm 18._ "Sure," she said as she followed him outside a side door. Once she got outside, she dug through the clutch Starfire made her carry for her I.D. "Sorry," she mumbled with embarrassment, "it's somewhere in here." A second later, she pulled it out, "Here you…"

She was greeted with a hard punch to the face.


	22. Chapter 22

I enjoyed writing this chapter. So I suppose you can guess what type of person I am…just kidding =]

Thank you for reading this far! I hope you're enjoying it!

Please review! It makes work less God awful when I check my email and there are new reviews haha

You guys are amazing

Love

BBS

Raven stumbled back, shocked by the hit. She felt the blood start to pour from her nose and lip, but she wiped it away and her eyes glowed, ready to fight. An arm from behind grabbed her around the waist pinning her arms down in the process. Her back was pressed up against someone's chest. The person laughed at her and said, "Hello baby. I'm glad to see you again"

The Predator's free hand extended into claws and he stroked her cheek with the sharp end before whispering in her ear, "I've been waiting to have another taste." The girl's eyes glowed again, "You're gonna have to wait a little longer. Azarath Metrion Zin…" She was interrupted by a click of a gun in her ear.

The security guard's skin fluttered and changed into the scaly black shape shifter who was holding the gun. Mimic smiled, "I cannot believe you fell for that." Raven couldn't believe either. _How could I have been so fucking stupid?_ She shouldn't have gone by herself. But now wasn't the time for regrets. She felt the wave of anger from earlier hit her harder. This time however, she didn't push it down. Raven let some of it seep into her voice, "I guess you've decided to take some acting classes. I was disappointed in your performance last time."

The shape shifter hissed at the insult and pressed the gun into the girl's head, "You're lucky I can't kill you without his command." Anger fueled Raven's bravery, "So you're Slade's bitch now?" Mimic hit the gun across Raven's face and bright bursts of pain exploded in front of her eyes. Her nose and lip erupted in blood again. She felt her body temporarily slump, but rough arms held her in place and the sharp claw lightly pricked her neck, causing her to stand up. The shape shifter let out a sharp laugh, "Doesn't feel so good being a smartass does it?" Raven spat out the blood in her mouth towards the shifter's feet.

She felt Slade's presence immediately. She knew he was hiding in the shadows, but she could taste his confidence and bitter amusement. He knew he had her trapped. The thought filled Raven with more rage and she spat towards the shadows, "Hiding behind those with powers Slade? That afraid of me?" She felt his rage, embarrassment, and jealousy hit her and her demonic side writhed with pleasure, feeding off his pained emotions. Starting to lose control, Raven smiled wickedly. She wasn't even trying to hold off her anger now. She wanted him dead.

_No, stay in control. This is not you, _the voice in her head reminded her. She started to come back to her senses when Slade stepped from the shadows and said with a smooth voice that contradicted his emotions, "Teach her some respect." She felt the monster behind her growl with pleasure and use his claw to cut into the flesh under her chin and drag all the way down to her sternum, leaving a long, deep gash. Raven hissed at the pain, but her demon side was filled with adrenaline and felt no fear. She felt Slade's approval and lifted her eyes to his mask when he said, "Raven, that wasn't very nice."

"Well neither is punching someone in the face and holding a gun to their head," she replied dryly. She felt him smile as he answered, "Well I like to think that we have a unique friendship, Raven. I enjoyed the other night, didn't you?" The masked man stood in front of her and stroked her cheek with sickening tenderness. Raven's eyes flared red.

"Get your hands off of me," she growled. She felt his amusement and he clicked his tongue, "Getting angry now are we? None of your magic little birdy or I'll send a bullet straight through that pretty little head of your's." Her eyes still glowed crimson, but she cooled down only slightly at his threat and answered with, "You're a fool Slade. The other Titans will be out with a click of a button." To her dismay, but not to her surprise, she felt no fear from the man. Instead he calmly answered, "I figured as much. That's why if you send any through the door, my new friend here will send a bullet through their heads."

Another man stepped through the shadows carrying a gun and a wicked smile, but she could feel his nervousness. Raven recognized him from Robin's newspaper clippings. He was a merciless serial killer with a tendency for women and children. Anger howled through her again, but accompanied by fear. Four red eyes gleamed on her face and a gun pressed harder to her head as she growled, "Leave them out of this. This is between you and me." Slade leaned close to her face again, "Raven, you and I know that's not true. It's all about them. They are why you want control. That's why you lie awake at night torturing yourself over the fact that you might kill them." The demonic side she was releasing lashed out, making her braver and hitting his weak spot, "Figures you'd hide behind guns; your only pathetic human power." Again, the side she inherited from her father fed off Slade's anger and jealousy. She knew it was bad news to be happy about someone else's suffering, but it felt disturbingly good. She absentmindedly licked her lips.

Slade's voice turned dangerously smooth, "We'll have to work on your manners." Again, Raven felt the long, knife-like claws rip through her chest and turn the front of her shirt into ribbons. This time though, she felt no pain because she was locked in a cage of the corner of her mind while Rage took her body. She wanted to cause pain, to kill, and to savor every scream. No, she didn't want to, It wanted to.

Rage broke through the Predator's grasps and sent him flying backwards. It tasted his fear and pain, and dived down for more. It couldn't get enough; it was starving from being pushed down for so long. It wanted to rip the man apart and hear him scream. The Predator reflexively lashed out his claw at Raven's human face and ripped through more flesh. Rage growled and retreated back wanting a new victim to taste. It turned and faced the shape shifter on the ground who began to fire her gun, but Slade knocked it out of her hand. He did not want the possessed girl to die. Not out of the kindness of his heart, but because he respected power. And although this side of the girl was terrifying, it was powerful beyond imagination. But he wanted to see her destroy.

"Both of you leave. This gentleman and I will take it from here," He ordered the shape shifter. Without hesitation, she scrabbled and ran away, following Predator. The demon swerved its attention towards Slade and the gunman and spread a smile across Raven's face. It wanted to taste the masked man. A tentacle of dark energy flew out of the girl to wrap around Slade. It wanted it to be a slow death so it could feel his pain and terror. It wanted to see him bleed and watch his life drain away.

Slade ordered the man harshly, "Shoot but not to kill." The man was frozen in terror, "But…" The black force slithered closer and the masked man yelled, "NOW!" The man fired the gun and it hit its target. The possessed girl let out a scream and turned its attention towards the shooter. The man began to run but the brick wall stopped him. Slade moved to the shadows to watch. The gunman began to scream, "No! Please no! No! PLEASE!"

But the screaming only drew the demon closer. The man shot again in a last attempted, but missed. Raven's body shot out daggers of dark magic and plunged them through the man and blood splattered on the remainder of Raven's shirt. His eyes widened in pain and shock, staring at the girl and then staring at nothing. The demon had its fill and retreated back in its cage.

Raven took control of her body and felt like she had been held underwater. She came up gasping for air. She remembered nothing and only when she saw the mangled man, did she realize what she had done. She turned and threw up and fell onto her knees, "No. No, no, no, no." As she rocked back and forth, Raven felt someone walk up behind her, "Yes Raven you did. Do you still deny my help?" The girl didn't answer and only continued to rock back and forth. The masked man took advantage of her vulnerable state, "Daddy is always there to back you up, isn't he? How touching." She continued to stare at the person she killed. She wanted it to be a nightmare. She wanted Boy Wonder to come in and shake her awake, but she knew that the monster she was was very real. The silence stretched and she still felt Slade's presence.

She whispered weakly, "Please go away." Slade's amusement stabbed her like knives, "There are the manners I wanted. I will go. You will find me if you want my assistance." Raven heard his retreating footsteps but said nothing. She heard him call from a distance, "Oh and Raven? You might want to get that shoulder checked." Raven looked down and saw the bullet wound in her shoulder but could not register its pain. She saw her shirt ripped to shreds and her skin covered in a mixture of her blood and the man's. She felt sick again. Her skin and soul was stained with his death.

She had never killed someone before. She was supposed to be the hero. It made her realize how messed up someone would have to be to kill. _You're a monster. That could've been one of your friends._ She shook her head at her own thought, _No. I wouldn't. It was an accident. I had no control. _Raven scooted herself away from the body and sat against the brick wall, cradling herself. The pain began to swell in her shoulder, but she refused to heal herself. She didn't deserve the good of her powers, when she allowed the bad to take over.

She looked at the bracelet to call her friends to her. Her friends, what would they think of her? She shut the thought out, too afraid to think of it. Raven found herself pressing the button on her bracelet. Moments later, the side door flew open and Robin ran through it. He looked to his right and saw the mangled body. Fear gripped him as he scanned for the girl and then found her on huddled on the ground.

He ran to her and lifted her head to find claw marks deep in her cheek. He held her face in his hands trying to lock eyes with her, "Raven? Raven? Come on, answer me Rae." She stared at him blankly in shock. Her calm leader broke into panic, "What happened? Tell me…" He looked down and saw the bullet wound pumping blood. "Jesus Rae!" He ripped off his jacket and held it to the wound. His panicked face looking at the emotionless girl in front of him. She finally looked at him and said with tears threatening her voice, "It's not all mine. It's not all my blood. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Her voice became more desperate, "I lost control. I…I killed him. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

Robin held the jacket tighter to the wound. Raven killed the man? There had to be an explanation. He swept the hair out of her face tenderly and she looked at him with wild eyes and spoke in between sobs, "I didn't mean to I swear. Slade…he threatened you and my anger, it just…he had a gun and he shot. I didn't kill him. This demon inside…I would never…" Slade? Robin tightened with anger. Slade had gotten to her again. Robin looked down and saw that her shirt was ripped into shreds. He would kill Slade. He stroked the side of her face with his thumb trying to calm her, "Shh Rae. I believe you. It's okay. I'm here."

Raven felt so tired. She needed to move, to get away from here. _But he's here and he said it would be okay. _The Boy Wonder seemed to fade away and her head lolled forward. He caught her face between his hands again and gently lifted it, "No way. You're staying here okay?" _But I want this nightmare to go away._ The boy leaned himself against the wall and easily pulled her in front of him so her back was on his chest. He reached his right arm over her chest so he could pull her up against him and hold the jacket to her wound. The back of her head lolled back on his right shoulder and with his left hand, he called the other Titans. He set down the communicator and used the hand to pat the girl back into consciousness, "Stay with me babe, come on."

Beast Boy, Starfire, and Cyborg burst through the door and stopped dead in their tracks at what they saw. The first two ran over to the mutilated man while Cyborg dropped down by Raven and Robin. His voice became panicked, "What happened man?" Robin stared at the fading girl before saying, "I'm not exactly sure, but Slade's involved," he paused for a shaky breath, "she killed that man Cyborg. Out of self-defense, but it messed her up. She's not healing herself…" Robin held the jacket tighter. The robotic man eyed the ripped up shirt and flesh and said with hatred, "Seems like the Predator has decided to join Slade and Mimic." Robin nodded realizing now that Raven was unconscious. Cyborg reached out and patted her face, "Rae you need to heal yourself okay?" He locked eyes with Robin when he said, "You got a lot of people here that love you so you can't give up on us like that."Robin looked again at the girl's face before saying, "Cyborg, go see if you can identify that man. Round up the other two and tell them to meet me in the car as soon as possible. We got to get her home." The man nodded towards his leader and ran towards the other Titans.

The Boy Wonder lifted up the girl in his arms and moved quickly towards the T-car. He got her in and pulled her head into his lap. Conscious Raven may have refused to heal herself, but unconscious, she couldn't help it. The boy felt for her pulse and a wave of relief rushed over him when he found it. He gently held the side of her face. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, pausing before he came back up. He loved this girl, but it terrified him how he keeps almost losing her.

"Stop trying to leave me."


	23. Chapter 23

ANNNNNNNND ten million years later I decide to update

Thank you for your patience and for reading!

Ps review =]

Raven stood on the roof of the Titan's tower. It had been four days since she killed the man in the alley behind the club. Because she acted in 'self-defense' and the man was a vicious serial killer, the judicial system of Jump City excused her without controversy. After all, she was considered law enforcement and she did what was needed. The other Titans were relieved, but Raven wished someone else would punish her for her actions. Her internal punishment was tearing her apart and she needed a break.

When Raven had woken up the next day after the club incident, she saw the Boy Wonder asleep in a chair beside her. She rolled her eyes at herself for visiting the white-wash walls of the infirmary yet again. Her stomach knotted and churned when she remembered why she was there. She sat up and winced, finding out that she had not healed all the way. _Probably because it's sick of fixing me_, she had thought. She sat up noiselessly and stared at the boy in the chair. She glided over to him and gently touched the side of his face. Before, she could think of what she was doing, she leaned down and kissed his cheek. Then his panicked eyes flashed through her memory of the previous night and she phased through the floor as the masked boy's eyes fluttered open.

Since then, Raven had been frequenting the roof the past three nights, partially to meditate and partially to get away from the concerned stares of her friends. She didn't deserve their concern. The sky was dipping into darkness, its purple and pink being washed away by black. The wind whipped around the girl's purple hair indicating that a storm was rolling in. The waves below crashed more violently on the jagged rocks below. She saw a flash of lightening and closed her eyes just as the thunder clapped and rain began to fall.

The girl covered her head with the hood of her cloak. She closed her eyes again and focused on the sound of rain hitting the roof and the occasional interruption of thunder. She knew it was stupid to be on a roof during a storm, but she really didn't care. The chaos outside distracted her from the chaos inside of her.

"It's getting dangerous out here."

Her eyes opened at Robin's voice, but she continued to face towards the water. The waves fell over each other violently, shoving one another down to the depths of the sea. The lightening seemed to reach them, shocking them with energy to become larger and angrier.

Her voice was barely audible, "Yeah I know."

"So maybe you should come inside."

"I'm fine."

Again she heard the waves crashing against the rocks below. She wanted to look down and see if the hellish waves were ripping anything from their island and pulling it away. Raven wondered what it would feel like for a storm to just pull her away and free her. The thought filled her with a rush and she looked down to find that she had stepped towards the edge of the roof.

"Raven?"

She could sense his concern and his rising anxiety, but continued to stare down at the rocks. A voice whispered in her head, _What if you jumped? Just let yourself fall and be taken away by the waves. You wouldn't have to feel this guilt or pain. You wouldn't ever have to worry about hurting your friends…_

"Raven, what are you doing? Get down please. Come on."

Raven closed her eyes. She felt drunk on the words. They blurred her logic and the boy's frantic emotions behind her. The voice became more soothing and enticing, _It would free you. No more control, just wild freedom then peace…_

She felt herself lean forward.

"NO!"

A body knocked into her, pushing her away from the ledge and back onto the roof. They rolled a couple times from the impact and she was under the boy, his hand cradling her head from the concrete. She opened her eyes and Robin lifted his head from by her head and stared down at her in fury.


	24. Chapter 24

Now that I got my shit together, I will be updating more often haha =]

Hope you guys enjoy!

-BBS

"What the fuck were you doing?!" he yelled. His voice sobered her up from the words that intoxicated her before. She stared at him blankly and stared at him confused. Her voice sounded unsure when she answered, "I wasn't going to jump." "Bullshit Rae! I saw you leaning forward!" He was so angry and she could feel it. His yelling made her angry too, but her last episode had left Rage satisfied in its cage so Raven was safe to yell back, "You don't know what I was going to do! Besides, even if I did, I know how to fucking fly! I could've just caught myself!"

"Yeah well, I didn't trust you to do that!" His voice was still angry, but this time it cracked with anguish. The rain was still falling and a loud clap of thunder punctuated the silence. Raven's face twisted with anger, "Oh great now you don't trust me? That's just the perfect thing to tell someone who doesn't trust herself!"

His face darkened again and his voice was back to all anger, "Well what the hell am I supposed to say?! No matter what I say, you always want to leave!" Raven tried to squirm free, but Robin said, "No, answer. Tell me what you want to hear." His voice had turned desperate and Raven turned away from his face, fighting back tears. His hand gently grabbed her face and tilted it back towards his, "Please."

The girl tried to yell back, but it was choked by a sob, "I killed someone Robin! I lost control!" Robin's frustration was clear in his voice, "It was a serial killer Raven!"

"That's not the point," she yelled back, tears falling down her face with the rain, "What if that was one of you guys? You don't understand. That was not me. That was some monster I've been trying to hide and it had full control. I was shoved down to the darkest corners of my mind while it murdered someone. It didn't matter who that person was, as long as it could feel its pain. You don't understand how dangerous I am."

Robin's eyes were wide but instead of feeling his fear, she felt his concern. The water dripped from his black hair and onto Raven's cheeks. She looked up at his mask and felt as if they were his eyes. He stared at her so intensely sometimes. She continued to cry angry tears as she said, "Get off of me. I want to go inside."

"No."

"Robin, get off! I'm losing control and I don't want to hurt you!"

"You won't hurt me, Raven. I trust that you won't."

"How could you—"

Robin's mouth was suddenly pressed to hers. The rain continued to pour down onto the two Titan's. Raven knew she shouldn't let him kiss her like this, with so much desperation and want, but she couldn't help it. Not only did lust want the boy on top of her but she did too. She found her hands were no longer pushing Robin's chest away, but pulling him closer. The boy responded with a deep groan. The hand that blocked her head from the fall was now tangled in her wet hair.

Raven's mind was numbed by the presence of lust, drunk on the sensations she never allowed herself to feel. But, she was still all too aware of who she was kissing. The Boy Wonder began to trail kisses down her neck. She closed her eyes feeling not only the kisses Robin left behind but also the sincerity behind each one. His lips pressed against a morphine button each time, drowning out all her pain and self-hate and leaving only love to be felt.

His hands were no longer holding her down, but instead exploring her body. She gently bit his lip and she felt his lust go into overdrive and he kissed back passionately. His hand ran over her ribs and down to her hip where he paused. That pause was irritating and relieving at the same. _I should stop this, I should…_ Her thoughts were interrupted by his hand resting on her thigh. She knew he would not go any further, being the gentleman that he was, but her mind back flashed to the hand there a week before.

_He's just like Slade. Same touch…_

_NO!_ She yelled in her mind._ I don't think that at all. This is different. This means something. This is…_

The words began to make her drunk again.

_He doesn't love you. You're just a toy…_

Raven closed her eyes tight and said in a desperate, quiet voice, "No. Please stop."

Robin immediately stopped and got off of her. He ran a hand through his soaked hair and looked at her with concern. "Rae I'm so sorry. I…are you okay? Did I…?"

She interrupted him quickly, "No not you. It's…"

_He'll hurt you. _

"No he won't," Raven responded outloud.

Robin reached out and tilted her head towards him, "Who are you talking to Raven?"

_Go to Slade Raven. He's the only one that can help you._

"No! The voice, it's…"

A sudden pain ripped through her body and exploded her nerves. She heard herself scream and felt Robin grab her. All she could feel was the sharp pain that rippled through her body, erasing all her memories of happiness for its duration. Somehow, the voice in her head broke through while Robin's shouts became inaudible.

_I can do this to your friends Raven. Only much worse. And it will be your entire fault. Go to Slade. _

_Okay! Please… just stop. Don't hurt them_, she thought in defeat. Her mind returned to the drunken haze and she thought it was over until she heard the voice one last time.

_I'm a little disappointed by how easy this was Raven. See you soon._

The shock of pain ran through her again and she found herself screaming. Robin continued to hold her tight, frantically yelling. A few seconds that felt like eternity passed and the pain was gone. The rain had long since stopped and the only sound on the roof was Raven gasping for breath.

"What's wrong Rae? Please answer me. Come on, please," the Boy Wonder's pleading voice came out raspy from his yelling. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. As it was usually these days, the boy's face was filled with concern and fear. His emotions felt like the tingling sensation after a body part falls asleep.

She felt so tired. Her throat was tired from screaming. Her mind was tired of fighting. Her body was tired of healing. Her voice also came out raspy and weak, "There was a voice in my head. It wasn't mine or my father's. I don't know how it got in there, but it did. It made me lean forward off the roof. It made me feel that pain."

Robin gently moved a piece of hair out of her face, and left his hand there to hold her face. "Do you have any idea who it was? Did he show his face or say a name?"

"No," she replied, "I'm sorry."

Robin pulled her in and hugged her tightly and his raspy voice whispered, "Dammit Rae. Stop scaring me like that. So you're sure I didn't hurt you?"

A flash of surprise swept across her face and she pulled away from the hug and held his face in her hands, "No of course not."

She felt a breeze of relief from the boy, but she could still feel the tight ropes of his concern. She almost regretted bringing up the next part.

"Robin?"

"Yes?"

"He did say a name though."

"Tell me? We need to find this guy. We need to…"

"Slade. He mentioned Slade."


	25. Chapter 25

I am really really sorry that it has taken me a 1000 years to write this chapter. I hope you haven't given up on me!

I really appreciate all the follows and favorites and reviews!

much love

The Boy Wonder paced across the floor in the living room his hair still soaking from the rain on the rooftop. Three Titans sat stiffly on the couch. You didn't have to be an empath to feel the leader's angry determination. Starfire's concern was written plainly on her face and Cyborg's human eye watched the leader walk back and forth. Raven's hair was still wet as well but she sat with her hands in her lap and a blank expression on her face. However, her senses were searching for the voice she heard before. She was just grateful that she wasn't put in the overly-sanitary medical room again despite Robin's insistence.

"Where the fuck is Beast Boy?" Robin mumbled under his breath. As if on cue, the green boy walked through the door. "Oh hey guys, I was just…"

"You're late so sit down and shut up," the masked boy snapped. Beast Boy put his hands up in defense, "Whoa bro chill out. No need to flip…"

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP"

The shifter sat down with a confused look on his face. Starfire's eyes widened and then shifted her attention down to her manicured nails. Cyborg broke the awkward silence by carefully asking, "Hey man what's going on? This isn't like you." Raven felt Robin's eyes shift toward her as she continued staring at the wall, listening.

Robin stopped pacing and faced his team, running a hand through his hair he answered, "What's wrong? We have three; excuse me four, villains running around and no leads. We've almost lost two of our teammates trying to fight them and that's just been when there's one of them and five of us. None of them are in jail or dead and it's been weeks. We need to pull our shit together. We are stronger than this. We…"

"Wait," Cyborg bravely interrupted, "You said four villains…don't you mean three? Slade, Predator, Mimic, and…who?"

Raven's mind snapped away from her listening, but her eyes continued to look ahead when she answered, "An unknown telepath breached my mind today. I've come across many telepaths but none as dangerous as this. He, She, It, can make a person do whatever it wants, feel whatever it wants," she turns her gaze to her team, "I've trained my whole on how to protect my mind and it destroyed those barriers like they were nothing. Its influence is powerful. I cannot explain how important it is that this thing is not only caught, but destroyed."

After a beat, Robin continued, "Titans, there is something else you need to know. Raven shared with me something about Slade," The girl barely grimaced at the mention of Slade's name, "she believes that he is somehow behind the voice and that the voice told her that Slade is making a team to beat us indefinitely."

_It's not a complete lie. I'm just trying to keep them safe,_ she told herself again for the thousandth time. She knew telling him something, anything about Slade, would throw him off of any suspicion that Slade wanted anything to do with specifically her. Still, her guilt swallowed her and she was grateful that she was the only empath in the room.

"Do we know what this creature looks like?" Starfire interrupted, her shining eyes searching Raven's face. The empath knew the girl anxiously waited for the slight reassurance, but Raven shook her head, "No." The air thickened with disappointment and was so tangible, she almost couldn't breathe. She wanted to be alone. She needed to look through her books and in her mirror and see if there was anything she could do. The weight crushed her heart and lungs even more with the thought of having to see him in order to protect the ones she loved. With that thought, she began to stand up but was interrupted by Cyborg.

"Wait, why is he trying so hard to contact Raven and not any of the rest of us?"

_Dammit Cyborg._

Robin's eyes flashed towards Raven and she began to feel his suspicion and curiosity settle in.

_Fuck._

"He's using me as a threat. While he doesn't doubt that the rest of you are strong, he knows I train my mind the most. He's showing that if it can break me the way it did; imagine what it could do to the rest of your minds." She was almost ashamed of how good of a liar she was. Almost.

Once she felt the team accept it as logical, her body relaxed. "I need to meditate. You understand, "she started off towards her room again when she heard the Boy Wonder once again.

"Wait Rae, one more thing. Guys, since we don't know when this thing will attack again, I suggest we all stay the night here in the living room so we can keep an eye on each other. That's an order actually."

Raven inwardly groaned. _No no no no. I need to leave tonight_. Part of her wanted to be around her friends so she'd feel protected, but she could never ask for their protection. She replied, "As fun as a slumber party where we have to fear for our lives the whole time sounds, it's not really my thing. But don't let my absence ruin the fun."She felt Starfire's spirits lift the minute the words "slumber party" came out of her mouth.

"Oh friends we are having a party of slumber?! I am most excited!" The alien was hovering above the ground and her smile was contagious, even Robin smirked. His smile drew Raven's attention to his lips.

_His lips. On my lips. On my ear. On my neck…STOP. _The dishes in the sink exploded and the team turned towards the shattered plates and bowls. Robin looked back at her with confusion and concern. _Don't you look at me. That was technically your fault. _Beast Boy laughed and said, "Well shit, I guess Raven is excited for this slumber party." The smile returned on the masked boys face and for the moment and it hid all his fear and anger.

The now blushing violet haired girl attempted to urgently leave the room again, when the smiling boy called after her, "Raven if you don't come to the party, the party will come to you." Beast Boy laughed and yelled, "Party in Raven's room!"

_That boy is beginning to feel too safe around me, _she thought with a majority of annoyance and a very slight amount of amusement. Very slight. She continued to walk down the hall, the sound of her friends getting farther away.

Despite the jokes and laughter, Raven knew her teammates were afraid. The laughter sounded off and their smiles didn't quite reach their eyes. Her door slid open and she walked in scanning her room and hoping that there was nothing hiding in the shadows. As soon as it shut behind her, she leaned her back against the wall and slid down and shut her eyes.

Her emotions stirred and stretched. A sudden breeze came through the room despite the windows being closed. It was a sigh of relief. She was exhausted from the effort of holding them down the entire meeting.

What happened with Robin could not happen again. If anyone found out, they could hurt him to get to her. She stood up and walked over to her bed.

She knew what she had to do. She had to push Robin away. She didn't want to. All she wanted to do was pull him close. But she couldn't have what she wanted and Raven was used to this fact. But she was pissed at this fact and at herself. Her pang of anger jolted a book end off her shelf and in turn, knocked ten books down with it.

"GOD DAMMIT!" she yelled as she kicked a thousand –year- old book across the dark room. She kicked another priceless book across her room when she realized that she probably attracted some attention. As predicted, three knocks came at her door.

"Go away," she answered in her composed monotone despite her insides shaking with anger and annoyance

She was both relieved and disappointed with the voice that answered back.

"It's me, Rae," Cyborg replied, "Can I come in?"

"Well you're gonna come in no matter what I say so…"

She heard the door slide open and the quiet hum of Cyborg's machinery enter the room. "Yeah you're right," he said honestly. He walked into the room and did a low whistle when he saw the mess of books on the floor. "I like what you've done with the place."

The reminder of the mess on the floor reminded her of her emotions which reminded her of Boy Wonder, which reminded her lack of control which reminded her of Slade which reminded her how pissed off she was.

Her voice only slightly rose, but it was laced heavily with annoyance, "I just wish that we had decent shelves around here, you know? Maybe then, my stuff wouldn't fall off of them all the time. I feel like it's not asking for much to have nice shelves that are genuinely efficient at their job of holding all my shit. Seriously everything falls when I even blink towards them. I know they are trying the best they can but they just can't do it alone anymore. I just…" Cyborg stared at her with an eyebrow raised, but she continued, "I just want some nice shelves."

Cyborg stared at her a couple seconds longer before answering, "Okay so I know that's not the real problem and I know you won't tell me what the real problem is until later and we'll have a beautiful Cy-Rae moment and maybe even a hug. But for now, I'm gonna leave you and your shelves alone to sort things out."

The girl almost smirked but opted for an eye roll instead and picked up one of her scattered books, "I'll make sure to write that meeting in my schedule."

Cyborg handed her another book and smiled before answering, "Maybe sometime after we go shopping for new shelves."

She offered him a small appreciative smile, "Thank you Cyborg."

His face turned serious, "Seriously Rae I'm always here for you. You know that."

She nodded and he stepped out with the door sliding closed behind him. However, not long after, she felt a familiar surge of concern wash over her and she knew the Boy Wonder would come swooping in at any moment. His concern never usually bothered her before but right now it pissed her off. Her door slid open and the masked boy walked through.

"Hey are you..."

The violet haired girl cut him off, "Stop."

"I was just wondering if you were okay."

"Robin, I'm tired of feeling your concern. It exhausts me."

His hurt rapped at her door but she pushed it away. This was something she had to do.

"I'm sorry I care about you and your general well-being?"

"Well you need to stop," she snapped as she picked up a book off the ground and put it back on her shelf.

Robin walked in further into the room and the door slid behind him. He walked up to her and put a hand on her cheek and asked gently, "Rae, seriously, are you okay? I'm worr…"

It took all she had for Raven to rip away from his hand and mumble convincing hatefulness, "I'm so fucking tired of that question."

Now she began to feel his anger seeping into the air around her. _This is good. This is what you want. _She turned her back on him and began to straighten her books, hoping that he'd leave.

Of course he didn't.

The normally calm leader let his anger slip into his voice, "Yeah well you never give a straight goddamn answer. I know something is wrong but I'm just waiting for you to explain everything to me. I know you're hiding something," fear washed over Raven and she was glad her back was turned because she knew it showed on her face. Robin continued, "And I don't know what I've done to make you feel like you can't tell me what that is, but it is so incredibly frustrating to watch you struggle and hiding what's going on."

"I'll never be able to tell you everything, Robin." She meant it to come out defiantly but instead it was a defeated admittance. She began to feel the sinking feeling of defeat coming from him as well. "Because why? Because you can't trust me? On the roof you seemed to…" Robin was cut off by Raven. _Say it. Say it. You have to say it. _

"The roof meant nothing."

She said it in such a calm and final way that she almost convinced herself that it really did mean nothing. But the tears welling up in her violet eyes knew otherwise. Her heart was broken. One half knew she was doing the right thing, or at least hoped so much that she was that it convinced her. The other half was gone. It left with the boy and out the sliding door that she heard close behind him. She was left in her room that was thick with heartbreak and defeat.


	26. Chapter 26

Thanks for all of the positive feedback everyone! It's really awesome to know that you're enjoying this story so far and I really hope you all continue to enjoy it.

To all the reviewers, followers and favoriters: You guys are the best! I can't tell you how much you all brighten my day! You're my motivation

WARNING: I feel like there is a lot of cussing in the chapter so I apologize if it offends anyone but it just felt right to have it there. Plus I cuss a lot in real life…

ENJOY! Much love

The last thing Raven wanted to do was drag her blanket and pillow out into the living room for a slumber party. Her heart was heavy and her body sank with it as she phased through the floor. She was relieved to find that the only other person in the room was Starfire. Raven dropped her things on the floor by the window and sat on the ground and looked out the window preparing to meditate. She knew she was going to need it before she left to go meet with Slade. The thought made her nervous and caused the things around her to twitch. She closed her eyes and felt the dim evening light on her face. She began to find her peace and her heart didn't feel like it was going to fall and the nervous twitch inside her and the things around her had calmed.

_Azarath Metrion Zinthos. _The words flowed out of her mouth quietly and they seemed to be whispered inside her head by all of her emotions. For once, nothing seemed to be working against her. For now, all of her parts worked in harmony and their whispers became steady and calm like rain. She was so at peace. _Maybe I can do this without Slade. I can fight this. I can fight him. I can…_

A sharp pain shot through her head and down her spine. Her emotions' calm whispers turned into screams and then she finally heard her own. She crashed to the floor and curled up in a ball. Tears stung her eyes as she squeezed them shut. She closed her ears hoping to block out the voice that she knew would come next.

_You have to be a fool to think that a moment of peace meant that you were safe, demon girl. You understand that I will not hesitate to kill your friends, right? Maybe I should prove it…_

"NO!" she screamed. She felt hands trying to pull her own away from her ears. They gave up and began to hold her face between them. She could feel the person yelling at her, but she could not hear them. The pain…She was going to pass out or get sick if it lasted any longer. She wanted to die and she found herself wishing it outloud.

"Kill me, kill me, please kill me. Make it stop. Father, please. Please…"

The hands began to shake her harder but nothing would stop the pain. It was so much worse than last time. The voice in her head laughed and came again; _Your friends would feel this before they died only for much longer. As much as I like watching you squirm, I thought you were so much stronger than this Raven. We will have to work on your pain tolerance. _

As fast as it had arrived, the voice was gone and the pain subsided. She lay there perfectly still and anticipated its return. She still was curled up with her eyes closed tightly and her hands still clutching her head. Raven didn't realize she wasn't breathing until someone jerked her again. She gasped for air and opened her eyes to see Beast Boy hovering over her. He looked terrified and his green skin was pale. His wave of concern and fear washed over her along with a wave of nausea.

"Trash," she croaked.

The green boy only paused for a second before grabbing a trash can and running it back over to her. She got sick and it steadied her a bit and so she pushed the can aside.

"Thanks," she mumbled as she leaned her back against the wall. Her sweat clung her clothes and hair to her and it looked like she had just finished fighting. Beast Boy still hadn't said a word and she didn't see Starfire until she brought her a cup of water with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," she mumbled. She didn't know what else to say without giving anything away. Beast Boy got close to her and put a hand on her shoulder and asked gently, "What happened? Was it the voice?"

Raven nodded as she took a drink of her water. Beast Boy shook his head, "We can't fuck around with this Voice then, huh?"

"I would advise that," she answered with her eyes closed. She understood now. Slade didn't want her to meditate or she would be strong and confidant when she met with him. He wanted her weak, hurt, and desperate. _He wins. _She put her face in her hands and heard the shape-shifter ask, "Are you okay Raven?" This time she shook her head. She finally looked up at him and asked, "Where are Cyborg and Robin?" He seemed to be more comfortable with this question and he answered, "They are getting some supplies, gas, and food for tonight. You've been meditating for like 3 hours. Star is talking to Robin now on the T-Com."

"Okay. Thank you," she said before closing her eyes. She felt him grab her hand and squeeze it before he got up off the ground. As she leaned against the wall, she could hear bits of Beast Boy and Starfire's conversation with Robin.

"…screaming…eyes glowing red…half the room covered with black magic…wanted to die…yelled for her father…yeah I know…she's not okay…yeah…the voice…yes, again…she didn't say…I don't know…me too…okay…see you in a bit…"

Her eyes flew open. _No._ She felt panic rise up in her. _My eyes were glowing red and my powers were covering the room? I could have killed them…_

She shot up off the ground and met eyes with Starfire and Beast Boy. The words tumbled out of her mouth, "I'm sorry. I wish I wasn't what I was and that our friendship was easier. I want to tell you everything but I can't. I just want you guys to be safe," Starfire stepped towards her, but Raven stepped back gently shaking her head, "I have to leave. Please don't come after me. Just know that I'm…" She heard the door open and two bodies moving quickly through the door. The Boy Wonder briskly walked into the room and stopped staring straight at her.

The masked boy thought Raven looked like a deer surrounded by a pack of wolves. She looked sick and her eyes were wide in terrified realization. The girl looked like she was going to take off running at any second and all Robin could think about was that she was the same girl who broke his heart just hours before. However, his body tensed, ready to run after her. He just looked into her eyes, afraid to make any sudden movements. It was Cyborg that made the first move.

"Rae, what's wrong? Just sit down and we'll talk about it."

Raven shook her head and stepped back again towards the window, "Don't." Through the hum of his machinery, Raven could feel his hurt.

"Rae, I'm not going to hurt you. You seem really confused right now and if you just let us help you..."

The violet-haired girl felt the tears well up in her eyes but her voice remained steady, "I'm beyond help."

The emotions from her teammates sparked like a firecracker. Panic, Concern, and her own anguished seemed to explode in the air like fireworks. The teammate that had always seemed to carry her burden so well was finally breaking. Robin had been staring at her intently this whole time and for the first time, didn't know what to say. What did she mean by that? Cyborg tried talking to her again like he was trying to talk someone off a ledge, "We'll get you to your room, the infirmary, whatever you want. We'll let you meditate…"

She blanched at the suggestion. Slade and his voice had taken that away from her. The pain had torn her so violently away that she was afraid she could never go back and reach that peace. No one could help her. Except for him. The realization filled her with desperation and hopelessness.

Cyborg noticed her expression immediately and stopped. She looked from his helpless expression and then to Beast Boy and Starfire's confused and panicked expression. Finally she looked over to the boy in the mask. She had felt Robin's eyes on her the whole time. Once again, she felt his concern and his fear. For the moment, they were overpowering his heartbreak that she felt like it was her own. She knew that he was prepared to run after her if she ran away. She wanted to kiss him and tell him that she didn't mean what she said but that just wasn't an option. They would die if she stayed and she treasured their lives far more than she treasured her own. She didn't care about her own life without them in it either. _So unfair. _She relaxed her stance and the others seemed to relax with her. The tension was still there but it did not wrap around her as tightly.

Finally, she spoke, "You have made my life worth living and there's nothing I can do to repay you," the team stared at her and she saw the Boy Wonder step towards her because he knew, "but I can try." She wrapped her raven soul-self around her and she was immediately engulfed in darkness. She flew out of the tower and into the city with the masked boy's voice yelling her name.

She landed in an alley in the farthest outskirt of Jump City away from the tower. She pulled her hood back and let the night time air rustle her hair in the wind. It smelled like wet concrete and cigarettes and she saw that she had landed near a bar. There were men and women outside smoking and laughing and drunkenly hugging each other. She walked completely out of the alley and looked behind her before throwing her hood back up and walking down the sidewalk and towards the bar. As she walked past, a man yelled, "Hey baby come here for a second." "Fuck off," she replied as she kept her eyes straight ahead. The other people outside began to laugh and it faded away as she got further away from the bar.

But she heard footsteps behind her. What could a stupid, inebriated human do to hurt her more than she already was? The person behind her wasn't trying to be sneaky though because she heard their voice, "I said come here." Raven stopped in her tracks and turned around ready to take her frustrations out. Anger stirred and she wasn't sure she wanted to bother putting it down.

"Listen fuckhead. I'm not in the mood to stop myself from killing you. I'll tell you one more time. Fuck off."

A grin spread across the man's face. He was pretty average looking. The drinks must've made him confident because by the looks of it, she could've kicked his ass even without her powers.

His grin only got bigger as he said, "You won't do shit."

Raven felt her eyes glow red as she slammed the man against the building. Her demonic voice slipped into her words, "I will literally rip your brain out of your head, hold it in front of your eyes and show you how to use it because apparently you don't." But the man only laughed with a little less confidence as it said, "Calm down demon bitch. I'm just fucking with you."

Raven had only just begun to see the man's skin flicker when she groaned, "Godfuckingdammit, not you."


	27. Chapter 27

Here are some responses to the reviews I've had from the last two chapters! THANK YOU!

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This time the grin appeared on a black, scaly face and demonic girl tossed her aside. "I guess Slade decided to send his pet lizard out on some errands," Raven said as her glowing eyes faded to violet. The shape-shifter on the ground hissed before slithering gracefully off the ground and changing into an average-looking teenage girl. "The lizard joke is getting a little over-used, don't you think?" she sneered as they continued their walk. "I'm just telling you what I see," Raven said in monotone, looking ahead. She felt the shape-shifter's hateful eyes leave the side of her face and heard a smile in Mimic's voice when she said, "If only things were actually how they appeared, then you wouldn't be in this predicament now, would you?"

The half-demon girl only let a second of silence fall between them before saying, "Probably not. The body you're using is wise. Where did you meet her?" Raven wanted the conversation off of her and her so called "predicament". Mimic smiled again, "You'd think teenagers would know by now not to talk to strangers," Raven's stomach sank and Anger began to crawl up towards the surface, "I forget where I left her." Dark tentacles shot out of her and wrapped tightly around the girl's throat. "I will kill you. I will. I have no need for you," the shape-shifter's eyes were wide with fear and Anger smiled demonically, "I have been curious about one thing though. If I were to rip off one of your limbs, would it grow back like a lizard's?" Raven got control and finally pushed Anger back down into its cage and the tentacles released the girl's body. She fell to the ground gasping for air as Raven stood above her, devoid of any emotion.

The girl on the ground looked up at her with hate, "You know," she took another eager breath and exhaled, "it's just the lizard's tail that grows back dumbass." Raven offered her hand and smiled when she saw Mimic look at it, terrified. She pulled it away as she said, "I guess I have my answer then." "You are a fucking psychopath," Mimic said as she scrambled off the ground, less confident than before. Raven silently nodded and began to walk again.

Raven was empty. For the first time in years, she felt nothing more than shell holding in terrible, destructive things. She had left behind her friends, the people she loved more than anything, and she could never be with them again. She was grateful that Mimic had decided to walk behind her a few feet because she felt her eyes well with tears. She wanted to go back and be with her friends. _Robin, _she thought and the echo of her named being called by him played in her head. She wanted to protect them and heal them, but she knew she could not. She was what they needed protecting from and the only way to keep them alive was to go with Slade. Her demonic side had already come out too many times today and she felt less and less in control of it. _I called out for Trigon to help me, _she thought in horror, _I called him 'father' and I begged for his help. _This terrified her because it meant that more than one part of herself was accepting herself as Hell's daughter. She had always been naïve enough to think that if she denied him as her father, then she was good and that she wouldn't be corrupted by her demon blood. _Daddy's little girl. _She never hated herself more.

It was completely dark out now. The street lights buzzed and rain had begun to fall. The shape-shifter stayed behind her, giving directions every now and then. She realized that she was lead straight back into the heart of the city. They walked past the club where Raven had killed the man and the building still shook with a loud bass with a line of people outside of it despite the rain. Her jacket was soaked and she felt herself shivering. She looked over and the shape-shifter also looked as if she had climbed out of a pool. Mimic disappeared in an alley for a second before reappearing as another girl, but this time in dry clothes. She grinned again at Raven before saying, "Cold?" Raven looked away without answering.

Another couple minutes passed and the rain began to slow. The shape-shifter stopped at another dark alley and turned to Raven, "Go in there." Raven raised her eyebrow and said, "The last time I went into an alley with you, you ran away terrified. Are you sure you trust me?" She felt a small smirk on her face as she saw the girl grow slightly paler. Mimic recovered and showed her into the darkness, "Shut the fuck up. We're here to meet a friend." The smirk disappeared as she stepped further into the darkness.

A few feet in she heard her second least favorite voice, "Hey baby. Long time, no see." She could make out his large figure in the darkness and she felt the danger of him there. "I feel like this is a very one-sided relationship," she replied as she leaned back against the wall, not bothering to keep her guard up. She just didn't care anymore. She also felt a tinge of fear radiating off of the Predator and knew that he wouldn't get too close. Raven stared down at her soaked boots. She wondered when she would meet the face behind the Voice. A shiver ran up her spine from more than just the cold. She felt the eyes of the two villains on her and looked up, annoyed, "As much as I am enjoying this reunion, I am here for only one reason. Where's Slade?"

As if on cue, a smooth voice came from the shadows, "Hello Raven. I'm glad you've decided to join us." Raven showed no emotion on her face when she looked at the masked man. "Like I had a choice," she answered in monotone. Slade stepped closer and looked down on Raven, "We always have a choice." The girl stood up straight off the wall and stared at him in the face, "You know there was never a choice for me." Raven knew that if she could see his face that he would be grinning. She felt her Anger growl and scratching the walls of her mind to get out. Her eyes began to glow red and she knew Slade's grin had grown wider. "No need to get angry about the things we can't change, Raven. But I really can't have you tearing people apart on our way there."

The red from her eyes disappeared as her Anger subsided. Still looking him, she asked, "There? Where's…" But she was only answered by a blow to the back of the head, and then there was darkness.

Raven awoke to darkness and to the back of her head throbbing. She realized that there was a bag over her head and her own hot breath felt suffocating. She tried used her other senses and her empathy to figure out where she was but all she could get was that she was somewhere dark and moist and salty. _By the sea?_ She wondered. She went to take the bag off and to pick herself off the ground and was awarded with the sound of chains and limited movement of her arms and legs. She was chained to the wall that she had been slumped against. _Fucking perfect._ She realized she was still in her soaked clothes and found that she was freezing. She went to use her telepathy to break the chains from the wall but found that she could not. Her powers weren't working. _What the hell?_ She tried again and nothing happened.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?" she screamed but her sounds were muffled by the bag. She frantically tried to jerk herself away from the wall and the chains cut into her wrists. The bag over her head became more and more suffocating as she hyperventilated. She continued to desperately try to release herself from the chains but stopped when she heard a large door open.

"Good. You're awake. I've been wanting to meet you Raven."

Raven's heart stopped when she recognized the voice. She had only ever heard it in her head. It was the Voice. Her body tensed, expecting the terrible pain to rip through her body but nothing came. The Voice chuckled and she heard its footsteps come closer.

"Don't worry. I will not hurt you now. My powers are focused on subduing your powers."

_So he's the one preventing them. They aren't completely gone…_The chained girl finally spoke, "So you're afraid of me?" Raven meant to mock the Voice but he responded with laughter. "Oh Raven. I'd be a fool if I wasn't." His footsteps came again and she heard them stop right in front of her. She scooted closer to the wall. "Raven, you are the embodiment of anger and hate and anguish and pain. I admire you and all things that are admired, should be feared. It's a beautiful power you have. You just need to learn to control it." Raven felt her heart sank when she heard that she was all of those terrible things and her curiosity couldn't help but ask, "And how the fuck do you plan on helping me to do that?"

"By letting me inside your mind."

A hand pulled the bag off of her head and what she saw in front of her made her scream.


	28. Chapter 28

Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! =]

As we are nearing these final few chapters, I just want to thank everyone who has encouraged me to finish this story. I'm really happy that a lot of you are responding so positively to this story and I'm extremely flattered that some of you look forward to these updates. I only say it all the time because I mean it, you guys are the best.

Much love

BBS

What stood in front of her was a nightmare. It had the body of a human but no face. The eyes were covered by pale skin and along with its nose. It wasn't its lack of eyes or a nose that terrified her the most, it was its mouth. It looked like it had been carved into its pale face with a knife. It literally stretched from ear to ear, or rather where there should have been ears, and it was curved into a jagged, disturbing smile.

Raven flattened herself against the wall and made a last attempt to phase through it. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the abomination in front of her. The Voice, the thing, reached out and touched her face with its long fingers. They left behind small electric tingles, little reminders of the pain it could cause. It opened its large mouth, but it did not move as words came out of it, "So that's what you look like, Raven." The chained girl yanked her face away from the hand and saw the mouth open again to laugh. "I didn't know what your physical self looked like. I had only seen you in your mind. Not as pretty." Raven sat there in shock, unable to speak. The mouth was still pulled up into a smile as the words came out of it, "I'm sorry to find that you are afraid of me. But it is quite the ego-boost considering what you've seen in that pretty little head of yours."

Raven regained her composure and put on her emotionless mask, "You don't look like how I expected you to." The body of the Voice stood up straight and the nightmarish face looked down on her with its mouth open, "Neither do you. It makes you more of a threat; such terrifying things inside such an innocent looking girl. It makes you the perfect weapon."

"I'm not a weapon," Raven said darkly. The Voice got close to her face and said, "You can tell yourself that over and over and it can be the only thing you wish for the rest of your life, but that will never change what you are, Raven."

"Shut up," she spat at him. She felt Anger clawing around in the fog of the Voice's control, wanting to get out. Her Fear was easily dominated by it and she was no longer hesitant to tear apart the thing in front of her. The Voice ignored her, "And you will be willing to let me control you or I will kill all of your friends and I will play all their screams for you in their head as it happens…"

"NO!" Anger roared. The Voice grabbed its faceless head and stumbled back. Raven let Anger take control but she still felt it being chained back by the Voice. Frustrated, she pushed Anger down and broke through breathing hard and staring daggers at the thing in front of her. The Voice regained its composure and to Raven's surprise, it opened its mouth and started laughing.

The dreaded pain shot through Raven and she felt the chains cut into her wrists again as she squirmed. She willed herself not to scream, but only for a second because then the pain ceased. Her labored breathing and the Voice's quiet laughter were the only things she heard. "I really didn't want to have to do that to you, Raven," she heard him say, "but just think of it as shock therapy."

"Fuck you," she replied. The door opened and she lifted her head. Slade walked past the Voice and stood in front of Raven.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything too important. I see therapy is going well," he said smoothly. The girl's eyes returned to the ground. This was it. They had her. But she could at least make them fight for it. His voice came again, "Not enjoying the accommodations?" Raven continued to stare silently at the concrete. In one swift moment, Slade roughly grabbed her face in his hand and forced it to look up at him. The Voice just stood there staring at them with that awful, inhuman smile. Slade's voice was darker, "I asked you a question." She stared hatefully into his masked eyes before she answered him, her voice dripping with sarcasm and disgust.

"It's nice. Thank you."

The masked man threw down her face and stood so he was looking down her and so that she had to look up at him. "Raven I don't think you understand that you have lost," he relied with calm confidence. "So let me tell you a little about your situation here: you're chained to a wall, your powers are no longer in your control, your friends' lives can end at any second, and I'm about to tear you apart in every way possible with the help of my new accomplice. After all of this is over, I'll use you as a weapon."

Raven's voice was steady, "Do you really think you can keep my powers under control forever? Why don't you ask your friend here about what happened before you came in? You can try all of these things but you won't succeed. If you let that," she nodded toward the Voice, "kill my friends, I will kill him as soon as he lets my powers go to do so. And then I'll kill you slower because I'm really fucking angry right now and I can guarantee pain if you hurt them. You said it yourself Slade. I am contents under pressure and you know what happens after too much pressure right? I rip your pathetic human body apart…"

She was interrupted by a hard kick and the sound of her ribs cracking. Her body twisted away from the pain and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. She wouldn't be able to heal that without her powers. _Shit that hurts. Don't cry. Don't cry._ But her pain was dulled by the adrenaline rush that she got from pissing Slade off. She managed a smirk and risked one more comment as he walked towards the door.

"It figures that only times you've been brave enough to get to me was when I was down. Tell me Slade, how long did it take you to muster up the courage and kick a powerless girl that was chained to the wall?"

The man stopped in the doorway, turned towards the Voice and said, "It seems that Raven needs another round of therapy. Make sure you take your time with it."

The door closed behind him and the Voice grinned as the pain came again. This time, Raven let herself scream.

(Robin's POV)

The boy searched the streets for any sign of Raven. He swore that he saw glimpses of her violet hair in the crowd but he found that it was just a trick of the sun. It also probably had to do with his lack of sleep. He and the other Titans searched all night for their friend and the only thing they found was her crushed T-com. The image of Raven standing there looking so hopeless and scared was stuck in Robin's mind. She had wanted them to not go after her but she seriously couldn't have expected that they really wouldn't. _Could she? _

The bright, warm sun seemed out of place for the mood the team was in. But it also made a small part of Robin feel a bit of hope that his friend, the one he loved, was still alive. He heard his T-com beep and he anxiously grabbed it out of his pocket. Cyborg's face appeared on the screen.

"Robin here."

"I found something on a security cam," Robin's heart jumped but then he saw the robotic man's expression.

"What is it?"

"I'm sure you remember that club we visited."

Of course he remembered. _Raven's body curled up in the alley way covered in blood_…He squeezed the memory out of his mind and focused on the man on his screen.

"Yeah, what about it?" he heard the impatience in his own voice

"I saw Raven walking by its cameras around 11:55pm. But that's it. She's just walking with her hood up in the rain."

"That gives me nothing. All we know is that she walked by it late last night. That doesn't tell me where she is now, who's she with, if…"

Cyborg interrupted him, "Whoa man you're not the only one that cares about her. We've looked everywhere…"

"Obviously not," Robin snapped.

"Maybe she needs time to clear her head. She'll be back. She'd never abandon us."

"Did you not see her last night? She's never looked like that before. This isn't like the other times she has left, Cyborg. I can feel it."

Cyborg's looked at him seriously, "I know. But you know the complexity of her powers. She could be anywhere on Earth by now."

"Then we'll search it once we're done here," He closed the T-com and shoved it in his pocket. Robin would never forgive himself if the last time he ever saw Raven was when he let her go. _Don't think that. She's alive. _Robin had always thought that if something terrible happened to his best friend, he would feel it. He would just _know. _Ever since she had been in his mind, he felt like she was a part of him. It just felt like her.He'd always remember the feeling he had while he was fighting the Predator in the mall. It was like something very important was being pulled away from his mind, his heart and he immediately knew it was her. When he saw her body on the ground, his world collapsed.

Robin turned the corner when he heard a voice from an alley.

"Robin. It has been a long time."

The Boy Wonder whipped out his bow staff and faced the man who stood in the alley's shadows. "You seem to be looking for something. Maybe I can help," Slade said smoothly.

"Where is Raven?" Robin's voice was steady.

"Why would you assume that I have her?" the masked man entertained.

The masked boy lunged at him with the staff, barely missing his target. Slade whipped out his staff and laughed, "I have missed sparing with you, boy. For your information, Raven came to me."

"LIAR," Robin yelled as his bow clanged against Slade's.

"Well technically, she met me halfway and I dragged her body the rest of the way…"

The Boy Wonder's heart sank, but he attacked again with more anger and determination. They continued to fight, both blocking the other.

"I don't know why we're fighting over a dead girl," Slade said with amusement.

Despite all his training that taught him otherwise, Robin froze. _No._

Slade took advantage of the pause and attacked again. The boy unfroze and gracefully moved out of the way and the staff broke off a piece of the wall behind his head.

_She's not dead. You would've felt it. You know that. _

Robin recovered from the terrible thought and replied with his bow staff ready, "She's not dead."

"I've should've known better than to lie to you Robin," Slade said mockingly. They both attacked each other again, each one dodging the blows. They moved with the same amount of grace and agility. Finally, the tail end of Slade's swing connected with Robin's side and he stumbled back.

Slade laughed, "How does it feel knowing that I've gotten farther with your little love bird than you have?"

The masked boy's pain was replaced with rage and lunged forward, hitting Slade in his ribs. He took advantage of the villain's state to hit him in the knee, causing him to crumple to the ground.

Robin was filled with adrenaline. This was it. He was going to kill Slade. He stood over the masked man and held the bow staff to his neck. Robin's labored breathing steadied and he said calmly, "Go to Hell."

A chuckle came from beneath the mask, "If you kill me Robin, I'll meet Raven there."

Robin tensed but his voice remained steady, "What do you mean?"

"I have a few friends who will know that I have been killed and then they will rip your birdie apart and then deliver her mangled body to you."

Robin cursed and then kicked the villain in the manhood before removing the bow from his neck. Slade cursed but then laughed, "Raven will pay for that tenfold. I will make sure to tell her that you say hello."

Slade went up the fire escape and disappeared. Robin turned and punched the wall. He yanked out his T-com and saw Cyborg appear on the screen.

"Hey man, where are you? We've been trying to get a hold…"

"Slade has Raven."


	29. Chapter 29

Thanks for all the reviews and encouragement! Let me know if you like the direction this is going in.

Much love

BBS

_Four_.

It had been four days since Raven had woken up in her chains. She gently shifted her body her body and winced in pain at her broken ribs. Dried and wet blood and sweat stained the collar of her sweatshirt. She felt the dried blood crusted to the side of her face that had originally run from the gash in her head. She knew her eye was swollen black and blue and she knew her jaw was not much different. Her sweatshirt no longer kept her warm due to the fact that it was in tatters thanks to Predator. He and Mimic apparently were also a part of Raven's "therapy". It was a routine now. The Voice would torture her senseless, she would cuss and insult anyone in the room, and then Predator or Mimic would beat the shit out of her while the Voice would stand in the corner.

She had desperately tried to release her emotions, any emotion, out on the monsters around her, but they weren't even in her reach. "Fuck this," she mumbled as she spat the blood from her newest injury on the ground covered in blood and birdseed. Mimic found it amusing to throw it at her, mocking her with jokes about her "having her wings clipped" and "being caged little birdie". Her arms ached and her wrists and ankles were torn up from hanging in the same position for days. She tried to maneuver herself again in a more tolerable position and gasped in pain. Nothing didn't hurt on her body.

"Oh fuck. Ow," she said under hear breath. She heard the door to the room open and she knew who it would be.

Slade walked in and moved slowly towards her. She didn't cower even though she expected pain. He crouched down to her level and stared into her eyes, "See Raven? Therapy is doing wonders on you. Look how controlled you are." The mangled girl stared back at him and a raspy, sarcastic reply came from her cracked lips, "So it may appear, but you know what they say about appearances." She waited for another kick to the ribs but was surprised to hear the masked man's laugh.

"You tempt me Raven, you really do. But I admire your resilience even when you've already lost. It's adorable." The girl looked down but Slade's hand grasped her injured jaw and she cried out. She was forced, like many times before, to look at him. Tears stung her eyes from the pain as she looked at Slade. Suddenly, his hand became gentle and he caressed her injured face with his thumb. Unable to move, she closed her eyes in disgust.

His thumb continued to glide across her cheek as he said in mock care, "I have to admit something. I think all of this therapy was a bit unnecessary," Raven reached for Anger, but it was locked far away, "I'm afraid that you may have been caught in a dispute between me and another little birdie. I guess you can say that I may have taken that anger out on you," Raven opened her eyes and stared at him with hate, "Now I'm not going to apologize because I think it was good for you. You seem like you have learned to control your anger."

Slade released her face and stepped away. Raven let her head lull to the side again and she stared daggers at him one last time before she closed her eyes. She was exhausted from her most recent "shock therapy" and injuries. She had this last, hopeful idea in her head that if she kept repressing her anger, that eventually, it would kill them all. She welcomed death at this point.

Suddenly, a quick, bright flash caused her to look up. Slade was holding a camera and she could hear the smile on his voice when he said, "I think we'll send this to our favorite Titan so he can view your progress."

**(A few hours later… Robin's POV)**

The other Titans had run into Mimic and fought exhausted from searching for their missing teammate. Their movements were slow and the shape shifter slipped from their fingers. Robin ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair as he saw the villain stop and shift into the missing Titan. His heart pained at the sight of Raven even though he knew it wasn't actually her. A wicked grin appeared on pseudo-Raven's face. "Oh Robin, do you miss your friend?" she asked mockingly. Robin threw a bird-a-rang but she used her borrowed powers to phase through the ground and then appeared behind him with an envelope in her hand. Before the Boy Wonder could react, she wrapped Raven's dark energy around him.

"I have a little message for you from Slade and Raven. You must've really fucked up." She tossed the letter at his feet and the dark energy released him as Mimic transformed back into her original self and then disappeared into the evening shadows.

The masked boy picked up the envelope and his stomach dropped when he flipped it over and saw a little bit of blood staining it. The other Titans had gathered around him, all exhausted from the fight and lack of sleep. His fingers carefully opened it, hoping to preserve any evidence. The note fell out first

_R,_

_Wish you were here._

_-S_

He passed the note to Cyborg and his heart stopped when he saw the back of a photograph in the envelope. He felt his team's eyes on him as he pulled the photograph out and flipped it over. The color drained from his face when saw what was on it.

"Robin?" Starfire asked fearfully and quietly.

It was Raven chained to a wall. Her eyes were closed and her head was rolled to the side and bleeding. Her usually vibrant violet hair was dulled by dirt and blood, and hung in her face partially covering her black eye and split lip. He saw the bruises that covered her face and remnants of her favorite sweatshirt covering what he assumed was more damage. She sat at an awkward angle with a pained expression.

"No," he said in agony, unable to take his eyes off Raven. It was his fault she was in this condition. Slade had somehow found out how he felt about her. He had the girl he loved and was tearing her apart. He felt tears begin to sting his eyes. Cyborg tore the photo from his masked leader's hands as Robin rage filled him.

He paced away from the group. He ran his hands through his hair and yelled, "I WILL FUCKING KILL HIM."

Cyborg looked at the picture and his expression was anguished, but also turned to anger. The picture was passed to Starfire and she looked horrified and mumbled sadly, "What has he done?" Beast Boy grabbed it away from the alien girl and stared at it in shock, but his expression turned serious when he said, "We have to get her back."

Robin grabbed the picture back, crushed it in his gloved hand, and looked at his team. His voice was dangerously calm,

"Somehow Slade is inhibiting Raven's powers. She wouldn't have allowed this otherwise. It's crucial that we find her."

"And what about Slade?" Beast Boy asked darkly.

"He's mine."

**(Raven's POV)**

Raven was woken up by the glare of light of someone entering the room. It could mean a session with the Voice and Slade, painful visit from Mimic or Predator, or a bathroom break. She was hoping for the latter.

She glared at Mimic as the shape-shifter walked in. The villain pulled out a key, unlocked Raven's wrists and ankles, and stepped back with a gun pointing at the unchained girls head. This wasn't normal protocol. The chains were usually left on when she was dragged to a bathroom with the bag blocking her sight.

"Don't try anything or I'll blow your fucking brains out."

Raven stared at her bloody wrists and replied, "No you won't."

The injured girl winced as she stood up. She ignored her broken body as she stretched her arms and legs. She felt lightheaded from all the concussions and the dehydration, but there was a part of her that was worried that if she sat back on the ground, she'd be locked up again. She was curious and suspicious as to why she was being unchained.

She heard the gun click and looked up at the shape-shifter. Her eyes shifted to the keys on Mimic's waist. She could take them and kill the Voice. Should she risk it? Death was better than this hell hole. She smirked at the villain.

"I'm fucking serious. One step and I will."

Raven let herself grin wider and took a daring step forward, "Now Slade would be pissed if you killed me. All those treatments would've been a waste. So you're going to have to choose quickly: who are you more afraid of? Me," the girl gestured towards her broken frame, "or Slade?"

Suddenly, Raven threw herself at Mimic and grabbed towards her keys. The impact was excruciating but she gritted her teeth as she used all her human strength to take down the shape-shifter. She punched Mimic in the jaw and knocked the gun from her hand. She scrambled for it but was tackled. Her broken ribs smashed into the ground and she called out. The shifter got away and Raven grabbed for the keys at its waist before the gun went off.

Raven slowly looked down and saw the front of her shirt being stained with new blood as she fell to the ground. She put pressure on the wound as she lay there, back on the cellar ground. She was surprised that she didn't feel any pain. She felt so human. None of her emotions threatened to escape, she was alone in her head and she felt peaceful. She could say that she died trying, that she tried to escape and didn't give up. She would die like a Titan should.

She heard the door bang open and footsteps running in. She knew it was Slade and she smirked at him, "I win." He looked down on her and her vision blurred his mask. His voice sounded far away when he replied, "Oh Raven, we've only just started the game."

She pictured the Boy Wonder's face one more time before slipping into darkness.

**(Robin's POV)**

"Raven!"

Robin's head had shot up from his desk. He must've fallen asleep at his computer which displayed profiles of Mimic, Predator, and Slade. He looked at the clock and cussed when he saw that it was 3:20am. He stood up out of his chair and paced the room and rubbed the sleep from his unmasked eyes. _What had woke me up like that? It felt like something was being pulled away. Like falling in a dream but only more real…_Robin moved his hand up to his chest reaching for where the feeling was coming from. He'd only felt this once before. In the mall…_No. _His eyes widened in realization. He gripped at his chest frantically as if he could keep her alive by physically holding in their bond.

"No Rae no"

He turned around quickly and found himself facing the mirror. His blue eyes stared frantically back at him. Suddenly, a raven-shaped shadow began to drain out of him. He fell back in horror as the raven grew as large as him. He reached out towards his Bond, "No!" It stretched out over him covering him in shadows. He immediately felt all of Raven's emotions: excruciating pain, suffocating guilt and sadness, and burning rage. And lastly but most intensely, he felt love. Her love for her friends and Robin wrapped around him like a hug good-bye.

His voice was raspy and pleading, "You can't be gone. You can't leave me…"

The raven appeared in front of him with its wings outstretched. Suddenly a white light flashed and filled the room, causing Robin to shield his eyes. The light faded and he lowered his arm long enough to see his Bond fly up and then dive straight back into him. The force knocked him flat against the ground.

He heard running footsteps and broke out of his trance in time to put his mask on before his door was opened by his three concerned teammates. Cyborg ran over to him and started to check his vitals. Robin stared blankly at the mirror, trying to fathom what had just happened.

"Yo Robin, are you okay? What happened man?" the robotic man questioned. Robin got to his feet and stared at his teammates.

"I just…I'm fine."

Beast Boy joined in, "You don't look fine dude. You look like someone scared the shit out of you."

As a nervous habit, the Boy Wonder ran a hand through his hair before deciding to answer, "The bond between Raven and I was momentarily severed."

Cyborg's human eye widened, "Severed? But that would mean that she would be…"

"Dead, I know," Robin interrupted. "But then suddenly, it came back, like I feel her again…" He trailed off, realizing with relief that he no longer felt the dropping feeling of losing her, "I didn't just feel it. I…I saw our Bond.

The other Titans looked at their leader in shock. They all had so many questions to ask about their mysterious teammate's power and their Bond.

Finally, Beast Boy leaned up against the frame of the door and thought aloud, "So something happened to her and she brought herself back. But then how come you didn't experience this when we were at the mall?"

"Because this time, Raven actually died," Robin's voice faded towards the end. His hand reached toward his bond again.

Starfire looked the most confused of all of them when she asked, "But she's not dead Friend Robin. You said you still "feel" her." Beast Boy scratched his head and looked up wide-eyed, "Dudes, Raven brought herself back to life."

Robin looked to the floor and nodded. He was astounded by the amount of power Raven would have to possess in order to bring the dead back to life. Despite his vague knowledge of the extent of her demonic powers, he had a hard time connecting that idea to the fragile, broken girl in the photo. His stomach dropped at the realization.

"Titans," the team stopped exchanging theories and looked at their leader.

"Raven is no longer controlling her powers. Someone else is."


	30. Chapter 30

This was a really long chapter! Well for me anyways. I hope that you guys are enjoying the story and that I'm not disappointing anyone! Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites!

Much love

BBS

Raven woke up.

She never thought that you would just wake up in the afterlife, but according to what had just happened, you do. She opened her eyes and saw that she was face down on the ground, the cold pavement pressing against her cheek. She noticed that there was no longer any pain anywhere. She pushed her upper body off the ground and kneeled, feeling her abdomen for a bullet wound.

When she saw that her clothes were still stained with blood and that the "afterlife" looked suspiciously like the cellar she was tortured in, she concluded that she was not, in fact, in Heaven or Hell, but rather still very much alive. This was confirmed even further when she felt the sickening numbness in her head that indicated The Voice's presence in her mind. Despite all this, Raven felt over her stomach and ribs and mumbled incredulously, "But I died."

There was no way she should be alive. Her powers had always allowed her to heal herself, but to bring back her life? "Impossible." She stood up completely and walked around, examining her wrists and arms and feeling her face. Everything was healed and only her clothes showed any evidence of what had happened to her over the last few days. Her eyes glanced over to the pool of blood on the ground that she had been laying in. She shook her head again in disbelief. She was dead. Key word: 'was' and now she was alive. There was no way she could've done this herself. Slade had the Voice block her powers. But if she didn't heal herself, then someone else did and that someone else had used her powers to do it. She really wasn't in control…

Her eyes widened at the realization and she fell back to her knees. The Voice had complete control over her powers. Slade had complete control over her powers.

"No," she breathed in horror.

She heard the door unlock and jumped up, preparing to fight. The too familiar blinding pain shot through her head and she collapsed to the floor once more. It immediately stopped and she stared hatefully at the villains as she struggled to her feet once more.

"And on the third day, she rose from the dead," Slade said in his smooth, mocking tone.

_Three days?_

"You're comparing me to the Son of God? You know he wins in the end right?" her usual monotone was lined with bitterness.

She knew Slade was smiling under his mask, "Some would say, but you're no child of God."

Raven ignored the comment and stepped toward the masked man threateningly, "What did you do with my powers?"

"I gave you what you wanted Raven. I gave you control."

"I wanted to control myself not for someone to control me!" she raised her voice and stood in a fighting stance, ready to attack.

Slade laughed and kept his eyes on Raven as he addressed the Voice, "I ask that you do not intervene. It seems like Raven and I have to sort this out." Slade cocked his head to the side in amusement and this time, spoke to the girl, "Do you wish to fight me? Is that what you want?"

Raven fiercely lunged at him, but Slade swiftly threw her aside. He stood there unfazed by the attack. Angry, she gracefully hopped off the ground and threw a kick at him which he blocked. This time he threw a punch towards her face and she blocked it, jumped up and kicked him square in the chest. Slade stumbled backward, but quickly recovered and finally met Raven's face with a punch to the jaw. The impact momentarily stunned her and she spit the blood in her mouth on the ground. She attacked again with determination, aiming blows at his face and other sensitive parts of his body just as Robin had taught her. But the villain was far more skilled than she was in hand-to-hand combat and he blocked every single one with ease. Finally, he met another punch to Raven's face. She stumbled back, seeing black spots when she felt a boot meet her stomach. The impact knocked her to the ground. _So much for no longer having broken ribs._

As soon as she struggled to get back up, a hand grabbed her by the back of her hair, slammed her face first into the wall and held her hands behind her back. She felt the blood trickle down her forehead and nose and onto the side of her cheek. Slade roughly pulled her hair back and she felt his hot breath on her neck and ear, "This is how you thank me for saving your life?" He pulled her hair back again and threw her on the ground. She hit ground, disorientated by the damage he had caused. The next thing she knew, Slade was hovering over her with his hand around her throat. She grabbed uselessly at his hand as he suffocated her. He watched her squirm and then said, "The next time you want to challenge me, make sure you're prepared."

He released her throat and she turned to the side gasping for air and coughing. She pushed her upper body off the ground and glared at Slade.

"This isn't over," said Raven darkly.

"You're right Raven. It has only begun."

**(Robin POV)**

Robin was in Raven's room rummaging through her belongings. Before he had gone in there, he had announced to the remaining part of the team where he planned to search for information. Beast Boy immediately paused his research and kept his back turned towards his leader as he said, "If you find a mirror in there, don't touch it."

The masked boy muttered a quick 'thanks' before walking to Raven's room. When he arrived there, he almost knocked out of habit and his stomach tightened at the thought that she would not be there to answer it. He walked in and scanned the room. Her bed was left unmade, creases still left behind from her body. Her floor was covered in broken glass and books and their pages. There were dents in the wall from items being thrown into them and bookshelves hung loosely from them. He eyed the mirror on her nightstand and quickly looked away.

_Rae what's happening to you?_ He thought with sadness. He knew the mess was caused by one of her breakdowns. He pictured her sitting on her bed; her mind throwing her belongings across her room and her fighting to control it. He shook the distressing image from his head and eyed a pile of books. He hoped that one of them would reveal to him how to stop whoever was controlling Raven. He knelt down avoiding the broken glass and picked up a worn emerald-colored book that laid closest to him. He opened it up and tried to read the pages, flipping through them and growing more and more frustrated.

_No English, no Chinese, no French, Italian, German, Spanish, Arabic… _He threw it across the ground in frustration. Despite his ability to comprehend many different languages, he had no idea what language was written on the pages. He grabbed another one, hoping to recognize the words on the pages, but as soon as he opened it, the Titan's security alarm went off.

The loud siren sounded throughout the Tower and the flashing of the red lights lit up Raven's room. Robin shot up and ran out of the room and into the living room where the other Titan's stood ready to fight. Cyborg yelled to the team leader over the sirens, "According to my computer, the alarm was pulled by someone within the Tower. It wasn't any of us. Was it you?"

"No," the Boy Wonder answered as he scanned the room, "I thought only one of us could sound the alarm from the inside." Cyborg double-checked his scanners before replying, "That's how it's set up." Starfire and Beast Boy exchanged anxious looks and continued to look around their home.

Suddenly, the alarms went off and a figure phased through the floor.

"Raven?" Stare asked incredulously.

It was the figure of their missing teammate, but Robin knew immediately that it wasn't. He scowled and prepared to fight before he yelled, "It's not her. Titans Go!"

The Teen Titans launched an attack but the imposter threw up a dark shield and held it.

"Do not mock us by using our friend's powers against us!" Starfire yelled in fury, the alien looking frighteningly beautiful with her glowing green eyes.

Pseudo-Raven sighed and said, "I think you might want to hear what I have to say."

Beast Boy transformed from a grizzly bear back into his human self before saying darkly, "You took Raven you fucking bitch. You don't get a chance to talk."

The team moved in closer; ready to do whatever they could to destroy Mimic. The shape-shifter moved her eyes from Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire and settled them onto Robin. She grinned, "You're going to want to hear this Boy Wonder." Robin whipped out his bow staff, "Doubt it."

Mimic shook Raven's head, still grinning, "Oh yeah? How about this? I know where your precious Raven is."

**(Raven's POV) **

Raven stared at the Voice who stood in the shadows of the corner. She refused to tear her eyes away from him. HE was controlling her powers.

"It's rude to stare Raven."

"Oh I thought we were having a staring contest. I can't tell if you're really good or really bad."

The telepath walked closer to her and stopped a few feet in front of her. "Raven, do you know what I am?"

The girl scanned the villain's face and body. She had wondered what he, it, was. However, her curiosity wasn't betrayed in her words, "No but I feel like that's not really fair though because I haven't gotten to touch all over your face like you touched all over mine."

The Voice ignored her words and continued talking, "You really have no idea what I am? Come on, you are a smart girl. You must have some idea." She could tell it was becoming more amused by its guessing game and it irritated her. "Enlighten me," she replied sarcastically.

"Are you familiar with the term 'seraphim'?"

Of course Raven was familiar with the term. Seraphim were angels, servants of God. They were her opposites. Their name meant "burning ones". As their name suggests, anymore who looks at a Seraph will engulf in flames. They were described having six wings; two covering the face, two covering the feet, and two to fly. They had to cover their face because they could sing of God's glory but they could not look directly at Him.

The demon girl could not believe it. Surely the Voice couldn't be…

"A Seraph."

**(Robin's POV)**

The Titan's froze at the villain's words.

"See? I told you that you'd want to know," she said smoothly.

The leader recovered and threatened, "Start talking and maybe we'll let you live."

Mimic rolled her eyes and it looked like such a Raven-thing to do that Robin's heart dropped, "Fine then. Then _maybe _you'll friend will be alive."

Robin knew this could be his only chance to find Raven and so he gave the signal to his team to back down, but they paused instead.

"Robin…" Cyborg started. But Robin kept his eyes on Mimic as he interrupted his second in command, "I said, 'back down'. Now do it." The other Titans exchanged glances but hesitantly let their guard down. Mimic paused for a brief second before lowering the force field.

Robin still hadn't let his eyes leave her when he asked with force, "Where is she?" The shape-shifter smiled and replied, "Hold on there, I want something in return for this information," Robin narrowed his eyes, waiting to hear her request, "in exchange for this apparently invaluable information, I want to be let go and not pursued by the Teen Titans after answering their questions."

"Wha?" started Beast Boy, but Robin cut him short.

"Deal."

Mimic raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms, another Raven-like move. It was killing him.

"Turn to your original form. I do not wish to see you as Friend Raven any longer," Starfire requested softly.

To their surprise, their friend's figure disappeared in a ripple and revealed the black scales of the shape-shifter. Mimic said without emotion, "I had to use her appearance in order to sound the alarm to get you all in here." In her original form, Robin and the other Titans could see the bloody damage to the scales around her jaw.

Cyborg stood with his arms crossed and asked without concern, "What happened to you?"

The grin appeared again on Mimic's face but disappeared with a grimace of pain, "That was your friend actually. Three days ago and it still hurts like a bitch."

_That's my girl_, Robin thought with a sense of pride and hope that she was okay.

The masked boy took over the questioning, "What did you deserve to that?"

"Unchained her."

"Is that all?"

There was a pause.

"Held a gun to her head."

A growl rose from Beast Boy.

"We have this…feeling that something happened to her three days ago. Do you know what it was?"

"Yeah. She died."

Robin's heart stopped and he reflexively felt for his Bond with Raven. He felt the color return to his face and his heart begin to beat normally when he felt the Bond radiating inside of him.

His voice did not betray the panic he felt when he said, "We assumed something like that. Who killed her?"

Silence.

"I'll ask again. Who killed her?"

"Me."

Robin shot up, grabbed the villain by the neck, and pinned her to the wall. Her eyes were wide with fear and then settled into amusement as she managed to choke out, "Funny. Raven did the same. Birds of a feather…" Cyborg stepped up and pulled the Boy Wonder off of Mimic. The robotic man leaned in towards Robin, "I want to kill her too man, but we still have to get information out of her. C'mon, Raven needs us." The masked boy paused for a second more before releasing the villain and walking away.

Mimic rubbed her necked, "I guess I should've added 'no attacking the person being questioned' to the agreement." The Titans stared at her hatefully and she spoke again, "In my defense, she asked who I was more afraid of, her or Slade. I just answered her question."

The team stared her down again before Robin asked his next question, hoping he already knew the correct answer.

"She's alive?"

"Yep."

"How?"

The shape-shifter grimaced again, "Because of him…or whatever it is."

"Explain."

"She was on the ground lying in blood. Slade checks her heart and flips the fuck out because she's dead. Then It stared at her and her black magic shenanigans wrapped around her and bam. Bullet wound is gone and I see her chest rise and fall. I'd say it was a miracle if it weren't so fucked up. I mean, It just stared at her and it's like it got her working again."

"Elaborate on what 'It' is."

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like It before and I've seen some strange things," Mimic went on describing the thing that was controlling Raven's powers. The Titans were horror-stricken at the creature's description and its abilities.

"Its voice was probably the one Raven has been hearing in her head," Beast Boy's voice fell away in terror. To have something like that in your mind torturing you terrified him and the rest of the Titans who glanced at each other anxiously. Cyborg walked over to the freezer, got out a bag of frozen peas, and brought it over to the shape-shifter being questioned. She winced as she brought it up to her swollen jaw and nodded at the robotic man in thanks.

She continued with the bag of frozen peas held to her cheek, "God dammit I think she broke it… Anyways, this thing is not something you want to be on the bad side of."

Robin pointed to the chair behind her and Mimic sat down. He dragged another chair over and sat in front of her. The villain tensed when the masked boy leaned towards her and asked, "If this thing is so terrible, then why are you helping us?"

"Because Raven isn't something you want to be on the bad side of either."

**(Raven's POV)**

Raven stared at the Seraph in horror. She composed herself and said in monotone, "You don't look like an angel."

Its jaw dropped open and it laughed shortly and said, "You don't look like a demon either, but you yourself know what they saw about appearances."

She shook her head in doubt, in hope, that what he said was a lie, "If you are what you say you are, where are your wings? Your eyes?"

"My eyes were burned out of my face when I became too curious. You sing about the glory of God for eternity and yet you could not look at Him? I had to look, Raven. I had to feast my eyes on the Creator. But instead His light feasted on my eyes and as they caught fire, Michael the Archangel ripped off my wings and cut my mouth open with his sword. I was thrown from Heaven and found myself on Earth. I am not bitter that I cannot see for nothing in this, for lack of a better word, disappointing place could ever match the brilliance that I had seen in the face of God."

The demon girl was at lost for words but mumbled out, "No wonder you have a problem with staring."

She stared at the Seraph in awe. It had seen the face of God and she had seen the Devil. Half of her was demon and he was an ex-angel. Neither of them belonged on Earth yet here they were. The excruciating pain wasn't just any pain, it was…

"Heavenly fire, Raven. You squirm under the pain of God's flames. You see, it has been trapped in my mind ever since. Then I hear about you, the spawn of the devil himself, and I had to meet you."

_Heavenly fire…_Raven narrowed her eyes at the grotesque angel, "Haven't you learned your lesson from curiosity?"

"I would say that in both circumstances, it was completely worth it. You are one thing I have found that has amazed me. Yes, the human part of you is disappointing but the demonic part, the part that has been given to you by another famous fallen angel, has me intrigued for the first time since The Beginning."

Raven waited for the Seraph to continue. But he paused as if waiting for a response.

"And you couldn't have just asked to grab lunch or something?" Raven filled the silence with the sarcastic remark.

The smile pulled across its face, "No, dear girl. You see, when something catches my attention, I have to pursue it. After all, I've got nothing but time. I wanted your powers and now I have them to control. Now not only to I have the wrath of Heaven at my fingertips, but also the wrath of Hell."

Raven's eyes widened and she noticed that she had backed up as far away from the Seraph as possible. She stared at the embodiment of half-God and half-demon in horror.

"If you are so powerful then why…why are you working for Slade," her voice came out quietly as she no longer tried to mask her fear.

"He led me to you and told me about you and your friends that you hold so dearly. He knew that if it meant protecting your friends, you would come to me. This was confirmed when I entered your mind for the first time on the roof that day, and I saw how you cared for Robin. How you loved…"

Despite her fear, Raven stepped forward threateningly, "Shut up. You leave him and the rest of them out of this." For a second, her eyes glowed white and she smirked when she saw the angel back up in surprise. However, the white-hot pain flashed through her head and she slid her back down the wall until she hit the ground and curled up in a ball. This time, she heard the voice in her head.

_Feel that demon girl? That's God punishing you_

"You are no God!" she screamed as the holy name singed her tongue. She squirmed under the pain of Heaven's fire.

_No, but I do a good job playing Him_

**(Robin's POV)**

Robin smiled on the inside, happy to know that Raven was putting up a good fight. Her perseverance had always astounded him.

"I need you to elaborate on the situation," he continued.

"Like I said, Slade was pissed when he found that she was dead. I had to get out of there. He would've killed me. I came here because I thought that maybe if Raven made it through all this…"

Beast Boy interrupted, "You mean when she makes it through this."

"…When Raven makes it through all this, she wouldn't come after me. I could exchange information for protection from not only Slade, but also Raven."

The shape-shifter looked down, ashamed and angry that someone could scare her into helping the Titans. She composed herself and gave the Titan's the location of their friend. Cyborg typed the location into the computer and Starfire joined him, pointing out various entrances and exits. Beast Boy stared Mimic down with Robin, searching for signs of deception. She looked into the masked leaders eyes when she said,

"I would hurry, Boy Wonder. She doesn't have much time left."


	31. Chapter 31

Alright here is Chapter 31! I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for all of the reviews, follows and favorites! I'd love to hear your feedback and opinions so please review!

Much love

BBS

"…Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"

Raven was sprawled on the ground, her violet eyes staring blankly at the wall in her cell. Her knuckles were bloody from banging on the door and her throat ached from screaming. She knew she looked crazy laying there and chanting words that could no longer save her. They escaped from her cracked lips incessantly.

"…Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"

She almost preferred the sharp aftermath of physical pain that her broken ribs and gashes had offered her. That pain told her she was alive, that she had a chance. However the pain she had experienced from the Seraph had been excruciating and never healed. She felt the aftermath of the angel's flames in every part of her, leaving mind and body scorched. She felt her sanity resting on a burned foundation, waiting for it to crumble.

_No keep it together. You can do this. If not for yourself, for the team. C'mon you're strong._

The girl closed her eyes tightly, trying to pull herself together and to remember.

_My name is…my name is Raven. I live in Azar…No…I live in Jump City. I am a Titan. I live in the Tower on an island with my four teammates…my four friends…Starfire…Cyborg…Beast Boy…Robin…_

Her eyes flew open and she shot up at his name, mentally feeling for their Bond. _Please still be there. I need you. _Relief washed over her when she felt the glow the Bond. She sat Indian-style on the ground and ran her fingers through her matted hair in thought. _Get up._ The girl stood up wincing at her injuries and the fire that burned inside of her. She heard the door open and looked towards it, grateful that she wasn't in her previous position. She made herself look as alert and determined as possible. She held onto her and Robin's bond for encouragement.

Slade walked in and stopped when he saw Raven. She smirked, knowing that he had expected her to be broken on the ground rather than standing to face him. She crossed her arms as he walked towards her, keeping eye contact.

He stopped in front of her, way too close for her comfort and looked down. Raven didn't flinch as the masked man lifted his hand to her face. Slade tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger, stroking the side of her face and said, "It seems that no matter how many times I clip your wings dear Raven, you always manage to drag yourself off the ground. I would find it admirable if it weren't completely useless. Tell me, what is it that inspires you to do so? Stubbornness? Or another little bird…"

"Shut up," she said dangerously. Her bottled up emotions clawed to the surface. Suddenly, Slade flew off the ground and was thrown into the opposite wall, wrapped in dark energy. His eyes widened while hers glowed white with intensity.

"Rematch."

(Robin's POV)

The Titan's leader decided on a silent entrance.

Mimic had informed them on the locations of Slade's allies and so Cyborg and Robin created a seemingly flawless plan to get Raven back and to destroy the thing that was controlling her. He looked up at his teammates looking each individual one in the eye before saying,

"Titans, we don't know what we're fully up against and I wish I could tell you what to be prepared for but I can't. I want to guarantee everyone's safety, but I can't. So with that, we must be prepared for anything. Our first goal is to get Raven back," Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire nodded in agreement, "Second, we destroy what could be controlling her and we'll be able to get any information from Raven about its weaknesses beforehand," he paused and swallowed, "No matter what happens we will get the team back together again."

They each gave a small, reassuring smile at their leader which quickly turned into looks of determination and focus. Starfire's eyes began to glow and Cyborg's machinery hummed, fully charged. Beast Boy's boyish cockiness turned to fierce confidence and Robin stared with pride at his teammates.

"I expect a pizza party for our reunion," Beast Boy said before changing into a pterodactyl and wrapping his claws around Robin's shoulders. The alien girl grabbed the robotic man and the team flew out into the night.

They landed and scanned the harbor and docks around them. It was an abandoned shipping yard with hundreds of loads of cargo lined up like a maze. Eerie fog settle around the Titan's shins and the clouds above them threatened to storm. All was quiet except for the sound of broken boats being knocked against the docks by the water's waves. The creaking of the docks caused the team to anxiously stare in their direction, waiting for someone to emerge from the ghostly fog. However, what unsettled Robin the most was how close Raven had been to the Tower the whole time. He could even see it in the distance.

"I have a bad feeling friends. I feel like we are being watch," Starfire said as she held her glowing hand high looking for the eyes she felt on the back of her head.

Robin only whipped out his bow staff and said, "I'm sure we are."

(Raven POV)

She tightened her demonic powers around the masked villain. Anger was no longer hidden in the fog caused by the Seraph's control but was now fueling her energy. Her eyes began to glow a deep red as she felt his pain.

"Where's your guardian angel now?" her voice mixed with her demonic one, taunting the man in her power. She threw him to the ground and he reached for his weapon but Raven telekinetically grabbed it and threw it in the corner that the fallen angel usually watched her from.

Intelligence begged her to be aware of the fact that the Seraph had yet to intervene, but Anger held her attention. She had him backed in a corner with nowhere to go. She would destroy Slade.

"Azarath Metrion Zin—AHH," her mantra was interrupted by her cry of pain. Her hands and eyes stopped glowing as she gripped her shoulder in pain. She turned around defensively and saw Predator standing there, his claws glistening in her blood. He smiled at her before he tackled her to the ground. She went to use her powers, but once again, they were gone. She used all her human strength to try to push the monster off of her but to no avail.

It laughed at her attempt and growled, "Finally, we're alone."

She lifted her head and frantically searched for Slade, but he was gone.

"SLADE GET BACK HERE YOU FUCKING COWARD," she screamed. She squirmed again hoping to catch Predator off guard but he held her in place roughly. She heard his laugh again.

"Nuh uh. You get to stay here with me while he goes with your friends," he said caressed her with the back of his hand causing him to cut a deep gash in her cheek.

She ignored the pain. Her heart pounded at the realization.

_My friends are here…_

(Robin POV)

So far their search had gone disturbingly peaceful. No Slade drones, men with weapons, or Predator had disturbed them yet and this made the Titans uneasy. A thunderclap tore through the silence and made the hair on the back of Robin's neck stand. He knew she was here somewhere. He could feel it. He had searched through most of the cargo carriers waiting for the squealing of old, rusty metal to seize attention.

He heard a set of feet land behind him and turned around quickly with a bird-a-rang ready. He met face-to-face with Starefire. He stepped back and ran a hand through his hair once nervously, "Jesus Star."

"My upmost apologies Friend Robin, but I have found a building that has heightened my curiosity," she said quickly still eyeing the weapon in her leader's hand. He put it away and immediately asked, "Where is it?"

She pointed west and said, "In that direction. It seems to be a building of offices. I may have seen movement there."

_That has to be where she is_ He thought. He looked at Starfire and even managed a smile when he said, "Great job, Star. I need you to gather the others and meet me here. We'll search it together." The alien girl nodded once and shot off into the sky. Moments later, she reappeared carrying Cyborg with a green eagle trailing behind her. The eagle shifted back into its human form and Beast Boy landed gracefully on the ground.

"Nothing in the ships," Beast Boy reported.

Cyborg said, "Nothing on the pier either."

"That's fine guys. Starfire believes that she may have found Raven's location."

Cyborg crossed his arms listening, "And where's that?"

A familiar voice came from the carrier above them.

"Somewhere you will not be reaching."

(Raven POV)

Raven mentally begged her father and her damned emotions to give her powers back before the insane angel slaughtered her friends. Predator leaned in closer and smelled her neck in a way that made her sick. The monster's weight crushed her broken ribs and she cried out.

"That's right baby. I'll make you scream," he growled.

She spit in his face. His slight reaction to her unexpected defense gave her just enough time to move one of her hands out from under him. She clawed at his eyes fiercely, knowing that a punch wouldn't budge him but a missing eye might. She felt nails dig into his skin and through part of his eye. He roared in pain and released her. She got up and stumbled towards the door and saw the gun Slade had tried to defend himself with.

Raven dove from Predator's grasp, grabbed the mundane weapon, turned around, and shot it immediately. The monster fell on the floor right in front of her, blood gushing from its knee from the bullet.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH," he screamed clutching his wound.

She stopped in the doorway and said darkly, "Just wait until I see you later."

With that she slammed the door and locked the monster in the dark room.

(Robin POV)

Slade looked down on the Titans who looked up at him, initially with surprise, but then with determined hatred. Adrenaline pumped through Robin. "Where's Raven?" he asked darkly.

Slade narrowed his focus in on the leader, "Don't worry, I left her in good hands. She and Predator really seem to get along.

Anger and panic flashed through the masked boy, "Titans, Go!"

"I have also brought friends," Slade countered. On cue, 20 drones appeared from behind the surrounding carriers. Starfire's eyes and hands glowed a fierce green and Cyborg's cannon clicked in place. Beast Boy changed into a velociraptor and Robin whipped out his bow staff. The team attacked immediately destroying some of the surrounding bots. The Titan's leader had just finished off one when he looked up and saw Slade disappear. He jumped up after the villain in blind rage, leaving the sound of starbolts, sonic booms, and crushing metal behind him.

By now, the rain had begun to fall in sheets, soaking Robin and obscuring his vision. He grew frustrated with the easy disappearance of Slade. "SLADE!" he yelled as he scanned the area, squinting through the rain. Out of nowhere, he was hit. He stumbled but quickly rolled back to his feet. The masked villain's figure appeared also wielding a bow staff.

"You called?" Slade asked mockingly as he swung again at the Boy Wonder. Robin remained silent as he quickly dodged it and also swung only to have it clash against metal. This patterned continued, each knowing the other's move as if it were their own. After a hit, Robin quickly threw a throwing star, hoping it would slice through the villain's mask and stick into its skull, but there was no such luck as Slade ducked gracefully.

"Are you trying to kill me Robin?" Slade managed through his labored breathing caused by the young hero's attempted fatal blows. He was answered by another forceful swing by the Boy Wonder that was blocked just inches from his face.

"Yes," the masked boy said darkly, now eye to eye with his enemy.

With the sound of metal sliding on metal, Slade swiftly moved away. The two opponents were only separated by a couple yards, but the rain still blurred the other. They had to raise their voices in order to be heard, "You seem to have forgotten the arrangement. I die, Raven dies."

The boy felt the color drain from his face at the realization. His blind rage had almost cost Raven her life.

"Ah, so you did forget. Let's make a deal shall we?" Slade's voice was confident and menacing, "if you let me go, I'll leave you to find your precious bird. I will not interfere. Or we can stay here and fight. You win, Raven dies. I win, you and your team dies."

Robin stared at the man in front of him, seething because he knew the villain knew what he'd pick. He knew instantly he would go after Raven. He would forget his pride and his obsession to destroy Slade in a heartbeat to save her. The masked boy had one more question, before turning his back on the chance for revenge, "Why would you just leave? You convinced Raven to come to you, you took her, and tortured her and you expect me to believe that you will just leave?"

"Fair enough question, Robin," Slade continued, "but I am not going back there. You see, I value my life and what waits in that building does not guarantee my return. I got to see you squirm with the knowledge that I had Raven and that I could do whatever I wanted with her. That should suffice for now. So what will it be?"

Robin knew that Slade wanted a reaction from him so he held the intense flash of anger within himself. This was a fight for another day and he would be sure it happened. He answered the villain's question by detracting his bow staff.

"I'm afraid you're becoming predictable, Robin," The masked man said before stealthily climbing a carrier. The thunder clapped again and the villain looked down at the hero. "I'll be waiting to hear whether or not the Titan's make it through this one. Tell Raven that I'll be seeing her." With that, Slade disappeared into the storm.

Robin turned back towards his team who he heard land on the carriers behind him. They were covered in cuts and bruises and soaked from the rain that refused to let up. Their faces relaxed when they saw that he was left unhurt but then displayed confusion when they saw that Slade was not present.

Their leader only answered with, "Another day. Everyone okay?"

Cyborg replied, "Everyone's good and the drones were destroyed."

Robin nodded, "Excellent job. Starfire, Beast Boy, can you give us a lift to that building?"

(Raven POV)

Raven stumbled through the hallways holding her ribs with one hand and occasionally grabbing onto the walls for support. She was dizzy from the loss of blood and from lack of food and water from the past week and a half. She eventually had to stop, take off her sweatshirt, and rip a strip from it to tie up the wound Predator had given her. She could still hear the faint roars from the monster. They made her move faster because she had just used up her bullets on a couple of Slade's drones and she knew if he escaped, she wouldn't be able to protect herself. Now in her tank top, she discarded the sweatshirt in a room hoping the scent from it would leave him astray if he were to get loose.

She gripped the wall, breathing hard. She had to stop if she didn't want to black out. She would never take flying for granted again. That's "if" she ever got to fly again. Unconsciousness began to claim her and she lost her grip on the wall and collapsed onto the ground onto her hands and knees. _No, no, no, stay awake. You're almost there. Just a little bit longer._ She squeezed her eyes closed and then opened them, looking for any threats around her. She saw black dots splotching her view of the hallway, but no sign of another being. She grabbed the wall and struggled to get back up and moving. The aloneness disturbed her, especially since she felt like she was being watched.

Raven was relieved to see that she had reached the end of the hallway. Her journey had reminded her of a video game Beast Boy had played called _Silent Hill_ and she was terrified that she would run into her own faceless monster every door she went past. She grabbed the handle on the door to the stairs and swung it open. She gripped on the railing, using it as support for her broken body.

She made it down two flights when she heard the door open to the stairs above her. Fear rushed over her and she tried to run down the flights, knowing she wouldn't escape it. The footsteps behind her began to speed up along with her heart rate. She tripped halfway down a flight and fell onto the landing which caused the gash in her head to bleed freely again. Raven pulled herself into the corner and staring terrified at the stairs in front of her. She saw the light of a flashlight and her heart pounded in her chest waiting for the Seraph and its awful pain to rip through her.

She pulled her knees to her chest and closed her eyes, hoping that her powers would return just long enough for her to phase through the wall. Then she heard a voice,

"Raven?"


	32. Chapter 32

I didn't intend for this update to take so long, but I ended up writing three different versions of this until I decided that this one was by far the best. The other two were boring and I can't believe I wrote them in the first place. Shame on me. Plus I feel like this was a major Rob/Rae scene and it was important to me to get it right. So let me know how I did! As always, I really, really appreciate all of the reviews and favorites and follows. It's really flattering and it's great to know that people are as excited as I am about this story. We're getting towards the end! And I'm feeling a sequel…

Much love

BBS

She opened her eyes at the sound of the voice she was afraid she would never hear again. His name came quietly on her lips, full of wonder.

"Robin?"

The masked boy ran over to Raven, dropped onto the ground, and held her face in his hands, his fingers gently trailing over the bleeding cuts on her skin. He stared at her and relief was evident in his face. Immediately his lips pressed against hers, but she was in too much shock to respond. Part of her wanted to rejoice that Robin was here, but the other part was terrified for him. She couldn't let him die at the Seraph's hand.

Robin pulled away, his lips silently forming her name. His eyes locked onto her head wound and he ripped off part of his cape and held it gently to it. "You're alive. I was so scared that you were gone forever…" Robin poured out the fears that he had been holding in since she disappeared. Coming to her senses, Raven reached up and held the side of his face and choked back a sob.

The Boy Wonder pulled her to him, "I'm here. I won't leave you. You're safe now." Raven went to lean into the embrace but cried out in pain. The adrenaline from her escape had worn off and now the agony from her crushed ribs was worse than ever. Robin pulled away and said worriedly, "Raven, what's wrong? Tell me what hurts."

"Ribs. Everything," the injured girl gasped her breathing sharp and urgent. Robin went to reach towards them but as soon as he made contact, she winced and pulled back. "I was sort of the resident punching bag," Raven managed to joke; "it's nothing too serious." She saw Robin clench his jaw and she knew that even without her powers, that he was angry. She wanted to hide the pain from him, but not even her newly found skills in lying could do such a job. Instead, she scowled at herself as she held her side as if she was trying to keep them from shattering. "No. You're really hurt. Tell me where else so I can help you," Robin tried to be stern but worry crept into his voice. She opened her mouth to speak, but she felt like she would pass out again.

Raven felt herself sway and her reflexes grabbed for Robin's shoulder. The strain on her shoulder wound yanked her back into consciousness. She pulled her arm back with a hiss and pressed her hand to the gash. _Stay awake. You need to protect him._ Robin saw the blood trickling out of her grasp. "Shit," was all he said as he moved her hand away and saw the deadly claw mark that dug into her flesh. He needed to get her out of here as soon as possible. Raven gave him a weak smile before she felt herself beginning to lose consciousness again. Nausea hit her and her head lulled forward. The Bond jerked inside of Robin and his panic began to rise. He gently lifted her head back up to him, "You're not leaving me, okay?"

The masked hero pulled out his communicator and Raven heard Cyborg's voice far away as she drifted off. _Wake up; tell him he needs to leave. You're already dying. There's no use to him staying, _Intelligence begged her, sadly.

Raven's eyes flickered open and she looked at the blurred face of the Titan's leader in front of her. She began tiredly, "Just leave me. I can't heal myself. I'm dy…" Robin put a finger to her lips and hushed her.

"No, don't say that," his order was filled with sadness, "I'm not leaving you here. How can you even ask that of me? Raven, I love you. I won't let you die."

She grabbed his hand in front of her face and held it to her heart. Raven looked down at his feet and felt the tears on her face, "Please go, Robin." She squeezed his hand and looked up into his masked eyes.

He squeezed her hand back and stared back into her sad, amethyst eyes, "Not without you."

Raven kissed him gently on the lips and whispered to them, "Your stubbornness will be your downfall, Boy Wonder." She meant it as a last warning; his last chance to let her go. He gave her a sad smile in return and said, "For you, it's worth it."

He helped her into a standing position and she immediately fell against the boy, gripping her midsection.

A faint roar was heard above them somewhere and they turned to each other. Raven said weakly, "Yeah he's pretty pissed at me so we should get moving."

"I'm telling you, Rae. You're gonna have a hell of a time making friends if you keep pissing people off like that," he countered, hoping that their banter would keep her conscious. Raven winced each step down, black dots faded in and out of her vision, but she was grateful for the distraction. She replied, "I don't need any more friends. I already have 4."

Robin snorted, but it was half-hearted. His eyes were still glancing at her face, making sure she was still conscious. Raven felt his eyes on her and turned her head towards him.

"Robin, this thing that I've been referring to isn't just any monster. It's a Seraph, an angel."

The Boy Wonder paused in shock and stared back at the girl. She looked away from him and back at the stairs they were descending and continued, "I know it sounds crazy. But that pain…" she paused, feeling the blazing trail it left behind, "it's Heaven's fire." She briefly explained the Seraph's story and how it controlled her powers. Robin listened and he felt his stomach sink in horror. His mind buzzed with solutions and strategies and possibilities. How could he defeat a being like that? However, on the outside he kept calm and controlled.

Raven looked at his face, searching for any signs of fear or hopelessness, but knew she would find none. Robin had always been that way.

"Now it has heavenly powers and demonic powers," it wasn't a question. It was a fact that she knew the boy was wrapping his mind around, trying to use this new knowledge to find a way to defeat the enemy.

The demonic girl nodded slowly, "Yes." They finished another flight of stairs when she spoke again, her head spinning and burning, "Robin, I don't feel…"

Suddenly, the darkness began to claim her and she closed her eyes. _Just for a second. Just close them for..._ She began to fall forward, arms gripped her tighter, and a voice was saying her name. Why did the voice sound so afraid? The pain was going away. The trail of fire in her mind was being washed away by dark waters. Everything stopped hurting and she felt herself being pulled down, sinking deeper and deeper into the oasis of eternal sleep.

_Sleep._

Raven fell completely limp and Robin leaned them against the wall to keep them from falling. He set her down and began to gently shake her.

"Raven, wake up. Wake up, c'mon," his voice cracked, "Open your eyes, Rae." But the girl didn't respond. His hand flew to the soft skin of her neck, praying that he would find a pulse there. A wave of relief washed over him when he felt a beat press against his fingers. He effortlessly picked her up off the ground, her legs dangling over the side of one arm and her head tilted back over the other arm. Her violet hair swayed like a pendulum as Robin quickly descended the stairs.

He stared down at the broken girl in his arms and said quietly through his labored breathing,

"I said I wouldn't leave you, Rae, so you can't leave me."

The dark waters that had mercifully drowned her in the depths began to drain and she felt the pain of the surface's light. The fire in her head came alive again, no longer suffocated by unconscious bliss. Her nerves stretched and immediately recoiled when they registered the pain that came with the new life that filled her lungs and pumped through her blood.

Robin saw her take a deep breath in of air. It was a desperate gasp that made her chest rise high and caused the boy to hold her tighter and stop his descent.

"Raven?" he questioned hopefully.

Raven recognized the voice, but her eyes would not open to see his face.

She felt his concern, his sadness, his love, his fear, his righteousness anger, his stubbornness, his hopefulness…

She felt Robin.

She felt the wound in her shoulder begin to close along with the gash in her head. Her bones snapped back together. Her skin stitched itself back together quickly and left behind no scar…

And she wasn't controlling it.

Her eyes shot open.

She struggled in the masked leader's arms but he held her tighter. His fear flashed through her mind. He sat them on the ground and she tried to move from his grasp. He couldn't be near her. It was nearby.

"Raven!" he yelled her name over and over. He saw that her head was no longer bleeding and that her shoulder was healed as well. He grabbed her wrists and held them so she stopped and looked at him.

"Raven, your powers are back. You're fine. You're…" The fear in her eyes froze him mid-sentence.

"It wasn't me," she whispered, terrified.

He knew what that meant.

The Boy Wonder pulled her to her feet and they swung the door open to the third floor. He pushed her through and they sprinted down the hallway. They almost reached the stairs on the opposite side when she heard it.

_Raven. You know better than to run from me._

Yet again, a new fire lit inside her head. Bright and intense, it blinded her with pain and her demonic side screamed as Heaven's flames scorched it. It brought her to her knees. She felt Robin's arms around her and she tried to focus on him instead of fire the burned throughout her body.

The pain subsided, but left hot embers in her mind. The side of her head was pressed to Robin's chest and she felt his attention face towards the end of the hall where they had ran from.

She opened her eyes and held tighter to the boy when she saw what he was focused on.

At the end of the hall was the silhouette of the demented angel standing as still as a statue. His grotesque features not yet visible to the Boy Wonder who had already had a hand on his bow staff. He used his other arm to grip Raven closer to him protectively.

"Stay back," Robin said dangerously.

The Seraph began to walk closer and this time, both Titans heard him speak.

"Ah. Richard Grayson. How nice to finally meet you."

Raven felt Robin briefly tense at his real name but then heard the sound of his bow staff extending.

"I said stay back!" Robin yelled again. This time the masked boy was on his feet with Raven on the ground behind him.

The angel stopped just ten feet in front of the Titans and froze. Suddenly a flash of lightening lit up the hallway and the angel's twisted mouth. The Titan's leader took a step back in horrified surprise, but recovered.

It chuckled, "No, dear boy. You stay back." Suddenly, black energy flew from its long finger tips and threw Robin into the wall. The boy hit the wall and groaned in pain.

The angel's voice came again, "I'll never know why He loved you humans so. You are all pathetic." He raised his hand to attack again, but Raven ran in front of the recovering boy's struggling figure.

"Don't you dare hurt him," she said darkly. She searched for Anger, desperate to try anything to protect Robin. Her mind felt for Anger but was interrupted when a claw of dark energy wrapped around her neck, slammed her into the wall and held her there.

Its mutilated mouth fell open, "Or what demon girl?"


	33. Chapter 33

Dear beautiful readers,

Please excuse the amount of times cuss words are used in this chapter, I'm sure you'll understand why there is a copious amount of them once you read this chapter. Besides it's not like you haven't heard them before.

Much Love

BBS

* * *

Raven clawed at her mutinous powers that had wrapped themselves around her throat. They squeezed her airways, threatening to kill the one who had controlled their dark purpose.

She heard the angel laugh at her struggle, "Oh how I want to kill you," its voice hissed with desire, "I want snap that pretty neck and feel your demon and human lives drain out of you…"

She heard a blast on her left. Debris and dust hit her face and immediately, and her powers dropped her. She fell to the ground with a thud, coughing while her vision returned. She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw that it was Robin. "I'm fine," she replied to his unasked question.

The other three Titans emerged from the debris with Cyborg in the lead. His cannon glowed bright blue and hummed, ready to fire again at the creature. Two glowing green eyes and two glowing hands were all that showed of Starfire's presence. A silhouette of a lion appeared and a low, threatening growl escaped Beast Boy.

Robin pulled her up, stepped in front of her and spun his bow staff once,

"Titans, go," the masked leader ordered and the team sprung into action. The Seraph smiled wickedly and his hands glowed black. Raven's demon side growled menacingly. Those were _her_ powers and she would rip her rival apart to get them back.

Robin sprung forward with his staff, ready to deliver a death blow, but the angel pushed him back with a force field. Starfire flung star bolts at it but swiftly dodged them and in turn, struck the alien girl with a ball of energy. Her body flew through the wall, but the indestructible girl just landed with a frustrated and angry grunt. Beast Boy pounced, his razor sharp teeth aiming for the Seraph's neck. He hit his target and the teeth clenched around its airways. Instead of crying out in pain, the angel grabbed the lion and threw it off of him like it was nothing. Its neck was bleeding, but it was black and poisonous looking. The green changeling shifted back into his human form and threw up.

"What the fuck!" he yelled as he frantically spit the angel's blood out of his mouth.

The Seraph laughed again as its gaping wound closed. "I am older than anything you can shift into, boy. Of course I am not appetizing."

Raven looked around for a way to help. With a quick look to her right, she saw the axe behind a dusty panel of glass. With her elbow she broke the glass, and grabbed the axe. She knew it wouldn't do much but perhaps she could slow him down enough.

The angel's back was to her, engaged in a fight with Starfire and Robin while he effortlessly blocked the blasts from robotic man's cannon. _Why is he drawing out the fight? _She was confused. Had he not threatened their lives if she did not come to him? Raven watched the fight and the truth dawned on her. He was not using his angelic powers. He was only using hers. The angel had lied to her. Only she was affected by its power and her friends were never in danger.

Everything she thought and what Slade said aloud was true, she would be the one to kill her friends even if by another's hand. Her loss of control would kill them. She led them to their demise.

Her horrifying epiphany was interrupted by Robin's cry of pain. Her eyes darted toward him as he clutched his shoulder. His bow staff was snapped in two on the ground. Without another thought, Raven ran towards the angel with the axe in hand. As soon as she raised the axe, the Seraph turned towards her.

Raven hadn't registered what happened until she heard him scream.

"NO!" Robin screamed in anguish. It seemed to have stopped time. The other three Titans stopped and stared at their leader and then to Raven. The masked leader started to run towards her but with a swift move of its hand, the angel held the Titans to the wall.

Raven's eyes widened and then slowly looked down to see one half of the broken bow staff protruding from her chest and out her back. The axe fell from her hand. The Seraph laughed while he grabbed the end of the mangled staff, and shoved it in further into her rib cage. Raven choked and blood streamed out of her mouth. She stumbled back against the wall and sank to the floor, right next to the Boy Wonder.

"RAVEN!" He desperately sobbed as if her name would call her away from her inevitable death.

She turned her head upwards to look at him. Her mutilated heart ached when she saw the look of devastation on his face and she yearned to touch him one last time. She was so sorry, so sorry for all the pain she caused him and her friends. The tears that fell from her face were not from pain, she couldn't feel any pain now, but rather from regret and the love she felt for her friends that would watch her die. Starfire was sobbing, her eyes closed, blocking her dying friend from her sight. Beast Boy eyes were wide in shock as he stared down at her. He frantically pulled at his restraints in a useless effort to get to her. Cyborg's eyes were glued to his adopted little sister and she could faintly hear him mumbling, "No. Please no. No no no."

But it was Robin that held her gaze, so wracked with sorrow that breathing was difficult for him. Tears streamed down his face as he begged, "Please Rae. Don't. Please."

Raven looked at him, her eyes mirrored his sorrow and said very quietly to him, "I'm sorry."

The Seraph broke the moment by stepping in front of the dying girl and grabbing her by the neck. Its mouth fell open as it said its last words to her, the same ones God had said to Lucifer when he threw him down from Heaven. He mocked her demon heritage, in a proud voice.

"I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever."

With that, the angel tossed her aside and when she hit the ground, the girl did not move.

Her back was faced towards the Titan's, a pool of blood steadily forming underneath

He couldn't tear his eyes off of Raven's body, his own bow staff impaling the girl he loved. It was so ironic that it made him sick. He desperately searched for any signs of life from the girl: a simple rise and fall or a soft glow of herself healing. But there was none. Robin almost refused to believe that the still figure was indeed his Raven. His beautiful, sarcastic, fascinating, dark friend would not die. She wouldn't leave him. His loyal, stubborn, invincible, brave girl wouldn't do something as ordinary as dying.

But she was so awfully still.

"I am sorry about your friend, Titans, but it is my duty to rid the world of demons, especially now that I have this power. I will say that I'll miss her. It was so fun to hear her scream…"

Beast Boy snapped, "Fuck you, you fucking piece of shit! I will rip you apart the first chance I get! I don't give a fuck that you are some God damn angel, I will fucking kill you for what you did to Raven." At her name, the green shape-shifter choked back a sob. Starfire's head hung forward, her fire-red hair curtained her face as she cried. Cyborg was silent as tears streamed down his face.

The Seraph approached the masked leader whose eyes refused to leave the unmoving girl on the ground. The angel grabbed the boy's face forcing his face to its own. Tears stained Robin's dirt and blood streaked face, but his expression was dangerously stoic.

"Robin, I have heard so much about you. She loved you, you know. While I tortured her, all I saw were thoughts of you. She clung to you more than she did to her own life. She wanted you to save her. But you were too late, weren't you? You call yourself a hero but you failed at saving the people you love the most: your parents, Raven… And now you will watch your friends die."

It turned itself towards Raven,

"Raven dear, would you like to watch too?"

No response came from the dead girl. Robin clenched his jaw.

The Seraph turned back to the masked leader, with its jaw dropped open laughing.

"Oh you must excuse her. She is a quiet one."

It walked away from the restrained boy and over to Raven's body. He paused just for a moment before kicking her roughly. The sound of cracking bones broke the silence. Beast Boy growled and attempted to break out of the magic restraints again. "Touch her again and I swear…" Cyborg threatened darkly.

But Robin caught the Seraph's attention. His face remained emotionless as he said,

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Heaven's abomination broke into a wicked grin,

"And why not?"

"Because you'll piss her off."

Four red eyes shot open.

* * *

Okay time for some review responses. If you reviewed with a "update soon" or something along those lines, I took it as a threat and I now present you with this chapter. I don't know if people actually read these responses but I always feel like a douchebag if I don't respond haha

Unknown: Your review made my day, seriously thank you and I think I'm feeling a sequel…

CraneLee: I'm glad you love it! Thank you!

Raventink: I'm your new favorite person?! Awesome! Thank you so much

Jackie: Thanks for the compliment! I try really hard to keep the character's personality but I also try to add my own twist to them. I don't like Starfire that much but I really think she should be portrayed more often as understanding and unselfish.

KhaalidaNyx: YES and here's another!

Lunastorm13: Oh jeez I always blush when I see the word "amazing" when it refers to my stories. Thank you!

Unknown/mist/ghost person: Thank you so much!

SpazzQueen15: I hope making you antsy is a good thing! Haha Thank you

Black As Ice: I'm really glad I exceeded your expectations and I hope I continue to do so. I don't want you to stress so I promise I'll finish it! Haha Thank you!


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